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themattress · 1 year

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The Dragon Master and the Dragon Buster

Looking back on Best Wishes lately and just felt the urge to sing the praises of the rivalry between Iris and Georgia/Langley, because it does exactly what a good rivalry should do: develop both characters and push them further in their goals. They actually help each other.

Georgia first helps Iris when she shows up and provides her with an annoying opponent she really wants to defeat, only to fail due to Excadrill not listening to her, which is the push she needed to stop beating around the bush and directly delve into what Excadrill’s problem is.

Once Iris and Excadrill have sorted out their issues, Iris ends up helping Georgia by drawing with her in their rematch. Despite Georgia having told Iris to “be a bit stronger the next time we meet”, Georgia is so egotistical that she didn’t actually consider “a bit stronger” actually affecting the outcome of their rematch. While she remains arrogant, she’s never this stupidly arrogant afterward, not taking it as a given that she’ll win and fighting more strategically.

After Iris wins the Don Battle, Georgia stops seeing her as just some upstart in over her head and begins to treat her like a legitimate rival, showing her some respect and telling her that she wants her to become a Dragon Master because defeating her would be worth more then.

After Georgia displays in the Donamite that she can indeed “bust dragons” and has skill to back up her endless boasting, Iris begins taking her more seriously as a rival, motivated to defeat her for the sake of the challenge rather than just because she gets on her nerves.

Teaming up with Georgia’s Vanilluxe is what helps Iris overcome her fear of Ice-type Pokemon, which existed because she was so empathetic and in tune with Dragon-types and is now resolved as she extends her empathy toward Vanilluxe in spite of it being an Ice-type and one of her rival’s Pokemon, which is a great display of Best Wishes’ core theme as well.

Georgia is also helped by this event, as she had been seeking to somehow change her Vanilluxe’s friendly-toward-Dragon-types personality only to see that even with a Dragon trainer teamed with it, its power was brought out in full, and on top of that Iris thanking her (using Vanilluxe as a proxy) makes her reconsider how she views Dragon-types and trainers. Maybe she also realizes she’s falling in love with Iris, I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if so.

In the Junior Cup, Iris defeats Georgia in the first round...but through none of her own efforts, as her freshly caught Dragonite insists on fighting battles his way without any input from her. As far as he’s concerned, she’s a glorified Taxi service to take him to strong opponents. Georgia calls Iris out on how unbecoming of a Dragon Master this is, and Iris really takes these words to heart and tries to fix this in the next rounds, but to no avail...yet, anyway.

At the tournament’s end, we see that Georgia was also helped by the battle, since it made her realize that for all her efforts at making Beartic into a physical powerhouse, it didn’t mean much if its defenses were low while another Pokemon like Dragonite’s were high. As such, she playfully notes that she’s going to “start powering up from scratch”, just as she should.

Executive interference with the show’s final year sadly meant we were robbed of Georgia’s send-off episode, which I personally think would have revealed her to have a Dragon-type on her team now. Using a Dragon to bust Dragons; it just feels like the natural endpoint to her development and experiences with Iris. Thankfully, Journeys was able to save things, as it showed that Iris became both Opelucid Gym Leader and the Champion of the Unova League. And when she makes it to the Masters Eight and faces Cynthia, we see Georgia front and center at the Battle Club where the battle is being broadcast, and her face just says it all.

She’s so proud of Iris, proud that she gets to have someone like this as her rival, to have bragging rights that this girl was helped along on her path to greatness by her, and to be perpetually motivated to keep growing stronger in the hopes of someday defeating her...an achievement that would now be an even more satisfying one than it had ever been before.

Best Wishes’ Best Rivals, definitely.

#Pokemon #Best Wishes #Iris #Georgia #Opinion #Analysis #I love this bitch #I love this one too

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poppletonink · 2 years

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An Analysis of the IKSW Characters

First of all, if you haven’t read I Kissed Shara Wheeler yet, I would recommend skipping this one, as this contains an immense number of spoilers. Now with that out of the way, let’s dive in, shall we?...

Every character in I Kissed Shara Wheeler is different. The cast is diverse, and each character teaches the readers important life lessons about numerous topics.

Chloe Green

“She’s gay, Your Honour.”

Chloe (who is incredibly similar to Paris Geller from Gilmore Girls) is the world’s most perfect example of a bisexual who has a general dislike of most other people. She’s a theatre nerd and a perfectionist – especially when it comes to her grades and her eyeliner. And she’s also quite probably the most determined character in the entire novel, with her never-ending drive to find Shara and to win valedictorian (this is mostly like the reason that she reminds of the song ‘Are You Satisfied?’ by Marina). Chloe hates False Beach, and her high school, constantly finding little ways to rebel against the school dress code so that she can control why people look at her. She’s also the only openly queer girl in their school, just like her mom was. Chloe is important because she teaches readers not to give up – not when there’s something worth fighting against or for.

Shara Wheeler

“You’re like the girl… You know everyone is scared of Chloe Green, right?”

Shara Wheeler is like the perfect combination of Alison DiLaurentis from Pretty Little Liars and Rory Gilmore from Gilmore Girls; she’s also the epitome of the song ‘Little Miss Perfect’ by Write Out Loud. She starts out as the town’s perfect girl, who everyone aspires to be like, perfectly representing what God would want out of someone, but as the story goes on you see more and more cracks in her flawless façade. Shara is the reason that Chloe learns the difference between nice and kind, because Shara is not nice, but she is kind. She also cares about things too much, and when she does, she throws them away, because she doesn’t want people to know just how much she cares. She can read people like a book (or everyone apart from herself, apparently) which is how she manages to plant her clues in a manipulative scheme to control the people around her. Shara Wheeler is far from perfect, but she’s interesting, which in the same way as Georgia describes Emma from the classic Jane Austen novel, is what makes her a good character.

Smith Parker

“Because I feel bad doing all that to a frog… Like, I don’t know how he died! What if he had a family? What if he had like, dreams? What if he never got to finish Breaking Bad?”

Smith’s character (who for some reason reminds me of Cooper Clay from One of Us is Lying) is incredibly interesting. First of all, he’s a jock who is actually nice – something that is rarely seen in fiction. And secondly, I was not expecting his side plot to do with his gender identity (though I definitely called the Rory related side plot). Smith is interesting because he’s not what you usually see of a genderqueer character. It seems like he’s somewhere on the non-binary spectrum (using his letterman jacket as a coping method for his gender dysphoria) but he still chooses to use he/him pronouns. He likes football, but he also has a Sailor Moon collection, and he likes putting flowers in his hair and wearing makeup. Smith Parker is a character the world needed to see, because he proves that not all genderqueer people are the same.

Rory Heron

“For legal reasons, I’m joking.”

Rory Heron is amazing. He thoroughly reminds me of Jess Mariano from Gilmore Girls (though Casey McQuiston has previously stated on Twitter about their likeness) because he likes poetry – even though he’s dyslexic – but hates school and usually skives, plus the fact that he’s done some illegal stuff that everyone just casually ignores. He’s brutally honest, but he’s also really romantic – the fact that he flooded the labs just so Smith didn’t have to dissect the frogs, even though they weren’t talking to each other at the time, is just adorable (and the fact that he writes songs about him). Plus, the way he figures out that he’s gay (which I knew was coming ever since Ace’s comment about Mr. Brightside at Dixon’s party) was just brilliant, because it shows how a lot of people are conditioned to automatically think that they’re straight even if they later discover that they aren’t.

Georgia

“Chloe, we’re gay. We can’t do math.”

Georgia’s character felt so important to the story, because though she was a side character she teaches Chloe – and the readers – a lot. Her relationship with Summer teaches everyone that religion and queerness can work together – you can be both religious and queer. Not only is she important from a moral-of-the-story perspective, but she also has some of the funniest lines in the entire novel, and the way she views Emma by Jane Austen, can help to get the reader to see just how good Shara’s character is. Georgia is loyal, and a good friend and daughter – even giving up going to NYU with Chloe in order to help her parents with Belltower Books. She also sheds some much-needed light on the fact that just because Chloe hates False Beach, and just because it needs to change, doesn’t mean that it’s all bad, really.

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xtruss · 8 months

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Analysis: The China-Russia Axis Takes Shape

The bond has been decades in the making, but Russia’s war in Ukraine has tightened their embrace.

— September 11, 2023 | By Bonny Lin | Foreign Policy

Alex Nabaum Illustration For Foreign Policy

In July, nearly a dozen Chinese and Russian warships conducted 20 combat exercises in the Sea of Japan before beginning a 2,300-nautical-mile joint patrol, including into the waters near Alaska. These two operations, according to the Chinese defense ministry, “reflect the level of the strategic mutual trust” between the two countries and their militaries.

The increasingly close relationship between China and Russia has been decades in the making, but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has tightened their embrace. Both countries made a clear strategic choice to prioritize relations with each other, given what they perceive as a common threat from the U.S.-led West. The deepening of bilateral ties is accompanied by a joint push for global realignment as the two countries use non-Western multilateral institutions—such as the BRICS forum and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)—to expand their influence in the developing world. Although neither Beijing nor Moscow currently has plans to establish a formal military alliance, major shocks, such as a Sino-U.S. conflict over Taiwan, could yet bring it about.

The cover of Foreign Policy's fall 2023 print magazine shows a jack made up of joined hands lifting up the world. Cover text reads: The Alliances That Matter Now: Multilateralism is at a dead end, but powerful blocs are getting things done."

China and Russia’s push for better relations began after the end of the Cold War. Moscow became frustrated with its loss of influence and status, and Beijing saw itself as the victim of Western sanctions after its forceful crackdown of the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. In the 1990s and 2000s, the two countries upgraded relations, settled their disputed borders, and deepened their arms sales. Russia became the dominant supplier of advanced weapons to China.

When Xi Jinping assumed power in 2012, China was already Russia’s largest trading partner, and the two countries regularly engaged in military exercises. They advocated for each other in international forums; in parallel, they founded the SCO and BRICS grouping to deepen cooperation with neighbors and major developing countries.

When the two countries upgraded their relations again in 2019, the strategic drivers for much closer relations were already present. Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 damaged its relations with the West and led to a first set of economic sanctions. Similarly, Washington identified Beijing as its most important long-term challenge, redirected military resources to the Pacific, and launched a trade war against Chinese companies. Moscow and Beijing were deeply suspicious of what they saw as Western support for the color revolutions in various countries and worried that they might be targets as well. Just as China refused to condemn Russian military actions in Chechnya, Georgia, Syria, and Ukraine, Russia fully backed Chinese positions on Taiwan, Hong Kong, Tibet, and Xinjiang. The Kremlin also demonstrated tacit support for Chinese territorial claims against its neighbors in the South China Sea and East China Sea.

Since launching its war in Ukraine, Russia has become China’s fastest-growing trading partner. Visiting Moscow in March, Xi declared that deepening ties to Russia was a “strategic choice” that China had made. Even the mutiny in June by Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin that took his mercenary army almost to the gates of Moscow did not change China’s overall position toward Russia, though Beijing has embraced tactical adjustments to “de-risk” its dependency on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Building on their strong relationship, Xi and Putin released a joint statement in February 2022 announcing a “No Limits” strategic partnership between the two countries. The statement expressed a litany of grievances against the United States, while Chinese state media hailed a “new era” of international relations not defined by Washington. Coming only a few weeks before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, enhanced relations were likely calculated by Moscow to strengthen its overall geopolitical position before the attack.

It’s not clear how much prior detailed knowledge Xi had about Putin’s plans to launch a full-scale war, but their relationship endured the test. If anything, the Western response to Russia’s war reinforced China’s worst fears, further pushing it to align with Russia. Beijing viewed Russian security concerns about NATO expansion as legitimate and expected the West to address them as it sought a way to prevent or stop the war. Instead, the United States, the European Union, and their partners armed Ukraine and tried to paralyze Russia with unprecedented sanctions. Naturally, this has amplified concerns in Beijing that Washington and its allies could be similarly unaccommodating toward Chinese designs on Taiwan.

Against the background of increased mutual threat perceptions, both sides are boosting ties with like-minded countries. On one side, this includes a reenergized, expanded NATO and its growing linkages to the Indo-Pacific, as well as an invigoration of Washington’s bilateral, trilateral, and minilateral arrangements in Asia. Developed Western democracies—with the G-7 in the lead—are also exploring how their experience deterring and sanctioning Russia could be leveraged against China in potential future contingencies.

On the other side, Xi envisions the China-Russia partnership as the foundation for shaping “the global landscape and the future of humanity.” Both countries recognize that while the leading democracies are relatively united, many countries in the global south remain reluctant to align with either the West or China and Russia. In Xi and Putin’s view, winning support in the global south is key to pushing back against what they consider U.S. hegemony.

Alex Nabaum Illustration For Foreign Policy

In the global multilateral institutions, China and Russia are coordinating with each other to block the United States from advancing agendas that do not align with their interests. The U.N. Security Council is often paralyzed by their veto powers, while other institutions have turned into battlegrounds for seeking influence. Beijing and Moscow view the G-20, where their joint weight is relatively greater, as a key forum for cooperation.

But the most promising venues are BRICS and the SCO, established to exclude the developed West and anchor joint Chinese-Russian efforts to reshape the international system. Both are set up for expansion—in terms of scope, membership, and other partnerships. They are the primary means for China and Russia to create a web of influence that increasingly ties strategically important countries to both powers.

The BRICS grouping—initially made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—is at the heart of Moscow and Beijing’s efforts to build a bloc of economically powerful countries to resist what they call Western “Unilateralism.” In late August, another six states, including Egypt, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, were invited to join the group. With their growing economic power, the BRICS countries are pushing for cooperation on a range of issues, including ways to reduce the dominance of the U.S. dollar and stabilize global supply chains against Western calls for “Decoupling” and “De-risking.” Dozens of other countries have expressed interest in joining BRICS.

The SCO, in contrast, is a Eurasian grouping of Russia, China, and their friends. With the exception of India, all are members of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. The accession of Iran in July and Belarus’s membership application put the SCO on course to bring China’s and Russia’s closest and strongest military partners under one umbrella. If the SCO substantially deepens security cooperation, it could grow into a counterweight against U.S.-led Coalitions.

Both BRICS and the SCO, however, operate by consensus, and it will take time to transform both groups into cohesive, powerful geopolitical actors that can function like the G-7 or NATO. The presence of India in both groups will make it difficult for China and Russia to turn either into a staunchly anti-Western outfit. The diversity of members—which include democracies and autocracies with vastly different cultures—means that China and Russia will have to work hard to ensure significant influence over each organization and its individual members.

What’s next? Continued Sino-Russian convergence is the most likely course. But that is not set in stone—and progress can be accelerated, slowed, or reversed. Absent external shocks, Beijing and Moscow may not need to significantly upgrade their relationship from its current trajectory. Xi and Putin share similar views of a hostile West and recognize the strategic advantages of closer alignment. But they remain wary of each other, with neither wanting to be responsible for or subordinate to the other.

Major changes or shocks, however, could drive them closer at a faster pace. Should Russia suffer a devastating military setback in Ukraine that risks the collapse of Putin’s regime, China might reconsider the question of substantial military aid. If China, in turn, finds itself in a major Taiwan crisis or conflict against the United States, Beijing could lean more on Moscow. During a conflict over Taiwan, Russia could also engage in opportunistic aggression elsewhere that would tie China and Russia together in the eyes of the international community, even if Moscow’s actions were not coordinated with Beijing.

A change in the trajectory toward ever closer Chinese-Russian ties may also be possible, though it is far less likely. Some Chinese experts worry that Russia will always prioritize its own interests over any consideration of bilateral ties. If, for instance, former U.S. President Donald Trump wins another term, he could decrease U.S. support for Ukraine and offer Putin improved relations. This, in turn, could dim the Kremlin’s willingness to support China against the United States. It’s not clear if this worry is shared by top Chinese or Russian leaders, but mutual distrust and skepticism of the other remain in both countries.

— This article appears in the Fall 2023 issue of Foreign Policy. | Bonny Lin, the Director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

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silenceforetold · 9 months

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Mixed and Matched

All of the issues going on in America has me especially thinking about my personal identity and my role within the world. I also want to express that this post has a lot to do with an episode of a show on Netflix, Ginny & Georgia.

I am biologically Black ADOS (American Descendant of Slavery), Asian, Native American, and White. I have the privilege of being light-skinned as well as somewhat racially ambiguous, and so I want to begin this post by acknowledging these privileges and stating that I do not, will not, and cannot speak for other people of color. I can only speak on my own experiences and my own perspective based upon those experiences.

For those who have yet to see Ginny & Georgia, the general plot revolves around a White mother from the South named Georgia, her biracial Black and White daughter Virginia nicknamed Ginny, and her White son Austin when they move into the New England community of Wellsbury.

Before I go any further, I want to make it very clear that there will be big spoilers for the Netflix Original Series: Ginny & Georgia: S01 E08 “Check One, Check Other.”

As is expected with a titular biracial heroine, Ginny’s biraciality is a key aspect of her character and a focal plot point as she navigates living in a primarily White high school. Much to Ginny’s chagrin, she quickly understands that racism and racial bias is not restricted to the southern United States and makes an enemy of her problematic literature professor. Ginny is not the only biracial narrative we encounter, however, as we soon meet the character Hunter and are given the perspective of a half Taiwanese male when the two characters begin a romantic relationship.

Without giving too much away, I will disclose that their relationship is not exactly an ideal one due to a third party, but I am choosing to ignore the romantic love triangle arc as a whole to instead just focus on the relationship of Hunter and Ginny without acknowledging the problematic love triangle within the show.

Very early in the show’s narrative, we are introduced to racial stereotypes such as “smart Asians” in the way that the literature professor, Gitten, constantly praises Hunter’s academic prowess while simultaneously refusing to acknowledge Ginny, the only Black individual in his class, as being at least equally as intelligent as Hunter. Not only this, but Gitten also takes every possible opportunity to single out Ginny when it comes to talking about problematic racist rhetoric within classic (i.e. White-centered) literature. While Gitten does not seem to give Ginny unfair grades, he absolutely refuses to express her capabilities to the rest of the class while freely holding Hunter on a pedestal as his star student.

This comes to a head when the class is given an essay assignment explaining the place that they feel they most belong, in which was part of a national competition. Ginny, worried about her lack of extracurriculars for college applications, takes it upon herself to aim to win. After some time soul-searching with her father and being exposed by him to slam poetry, Ginny decides to submit a poem in lieu of an essay.

Ginny’s poem transcript:

Growing up, I thought people were born with their heads cocked because that’s how they always looked at me. Boxes. Check one, check other. People don’t know, they don’t furrow between the layers like I do. They don’t switch and twitch and actively make the decisions of which. Which part of me belongs today, which aspect of my personality will offend the least and blend the most and work and succeed and bury the lead like a switchboard of traits that decide my fate and I’m always an imposter. Always lost, always asking for directions and people point my way like the scarecrow. Like tornadoes blowing me whichever way the wind blows. Well, Dorothy doesn’t want to play today, she’s prepping for the SAT. Just the scantron. The box is empty and glaring and daring me to choose one. Well, I’m an expert at boxes. My whole life can fit inside it and I’ve got it down to a science. I can pack my entire identity in an hour because where there’s roots, there’s power. But I’m all top soil. My blood runs like water and oil refusing to stick. My dad’s old books, read in secret nooks. That camera that locks all my memories in a flash, saved for when my recollection doesn’t last. That lighter that sparked that fire. All fit in a box ready to be carried from door to door, but that’s not the kind of box people ever ask for. So many lines in the sand, so many “can’t”s and “can”s. I see both worlds so clearly, and I skip and jump and dance and fall between, never seen. I belong in the spaces between. Check all that may apply.

While Ginny’s poem was incredibly well received by her classmates, it came as no surprise after the set-up tension between Ginny and her professor Gitten that Ginny would not be announced the winner within her class. The conversation between Ginny and Hunter later at her house stems greatly from Ginny’s belief that she had been cheated out of winning the contest due to racism.

It is then that the complex histories and interracial relations between Asians and Blacks as a whole unveils itself through both characters, both biracial people of color who suffer from not feeling “enough” as well as attempting to navigate the complexities of racial stereotypes and the problematic idea of racial hierarchies. Furthermore, it was not surprising when Hunter was chosen as the winner. The purpose of this post is not to argue if Gitten was justified in his decision or even if Gitten was racist, however, so I will opt not to venture into that controversy. Instead, we will focus on what Ginny and Hunter say to one another that leads to their separation.

Argument scene transcript:

Ginny: I should have won. Gitten's so clearly being racist. Hunter: Uh… Ginny: You don't think I deserved to win? Hunter: Your piece was impactful. I loved it. Trust me, I get it, but the assignment was to write an essay, and you didn't do that. It was unconventional. Ginny: You're siding with Gitten right now? Are you serious? Hunter: I'm just saying if you're so concerned about him and what he thinks about you, why are you always causing drama in his class? Ginny: I have to speak up because I'm a person. I have a voice. Hunter: Okay. Ginny: You're an artist. You should get this. Hunter: Yeah, exactly. I didn't do a song. It's all about survival. I keep my head down. I do the thing that's asked. Ginny: And you're proud of that? Hunter: Why can't I just be who I am? Ginny: Because you're half Taiwanese. Hunter: Exactly. I'm not full White, so Gitten can't be full racist. Ginny: Not in the same way I'm not full white. Asians get to be stereotyped as talented geniuses and prodigies, okay? Black women are… are stupid, lazy, angry. Brodie doesn't fist-bump you. Hunter: Do you know what it means to be Taiwanese? I have to serve in the military when I turn 19 because I'm a guy. Or I can relinquish my citizenship because I'm lucky I'm also American. But then I'm a draft dodger and just another soft American p*ssy. When I went to Taiwan, I thought, "Wow. Finally, my people." But it was just this hard reality check that, "No, you don't belong here either." You have no idea what it's like for me. I'm sorry. Does that not fit with me being the cool guitar guy? I worked really hard on my essay, and I followed the rules. Ginny: You really think that if I'd followed the rules, I could've possibly won? You don't get it. You are closer to white than I'll ever be! Hunter: Together we make a whole White person! Ginny: Your favorite food is cheeseburgers and I know more Mandarin than you do, you’re barely even Asian! Hunter: Sorry I’m not Chinese enough for you. But I’ve never seen you pound back jerk chicken. Last time I checked, Brody twerks better than you. And I liked your poem, but your bars could use a little more work, homie. So, really, how Black are you then? Ginny: Excuse me? Hunter: What? Literally, What? Because if we’re gonna play that game, let’s do it. Oppression Olympics. Let’s go.

Firstly, I want to address exactly what Twitter addressed when this scene from Ginny & Georgia first began trending: the scene is rather cringe-inducing. It felt inorganic simply because the show writers did not do enough characterization and build up for this scene to feel like anything more than the means to an end of the characters’ relationship. Essentially, the scene just felt like a plot point afterthought for Ginny to be free to explore the third in their love triangle rather than an actual intent to have the hard exploration and discussion of race politics and historically strained interracial relations in America.

Not only that, but Ginny & Georgia tends to dance back and forth between deciding how to depict Ginny dealing with her race and how Black people are treated in the United States. For example, at beginning of the series, Ginny expresses distrust in the police, but, later in the series, there is no consequence for her White mother calling the police on her biracial Black daughter and allowing her to be arrested. For context, Georgia called the police to make a noise complaint when she discovered that Ginny had snuck out to have a party with her friends across the street. Upon arriving, the police arrested the teenagers and Georgia simply listened as her boyfriend detailed watching the police place a drunken Ginny into the back of a police car. Not only that, but Georgia refuses to go save Ginny, leaving Georgia’s boyfriend to make the decision to (without Georgia’s permission) bail Ginny out and bring her home. The trauma of that situation for Ginny as a Black girl is never addressed and Georgia is never held accountable for purposely putting her daughter in such a situation.

Netflix and the show writers basically just pick and choose when it’s convenient to remind viewers of non-White raciality and then retreat into color blindness when raciality no longer serves a purpose of justification to tension. For people of color in the real world, this tension from raciality can never just be turned off and on, it is consistently always on. But, I digress…

All of that said, it should be acknowledged that arguments like this are not non-existent and happen a bit more frequently than people might notice or like to admit.

In light of the shooting in Atlanta, Georgia that resulted in the death of 6 Asian American women (as is confirmed thus far), fear and outrage sparked as anti-Asian racism reared it’s ugly head into the forefront. While the issue is one familiar to all Asian Americans, the concept has unfortunately taken some by surprise enough to make even other people of color question: has anti-Asian racism risen recently or has it always existed?

As a mixed Asian American woman, I find the very question and it’s implication offensive. My offense aside, however, I would like to state that my stance and answer to the question is both.

Anti-Asian racism reaches back to the Gold Rush when an influx of Asian, most notably Chinese, gold miners immigrated to America an an attempt to achieve wealth just like their European counterparts. Of course, one could also go back into history much further to when Europeans first “discovered” Asia, but to keep things more simple, I will opt to only speak about anti-Asian racism within the United States.

Anti-Asian racism has persisted throughout history, some examples including but not limited to:

1854 People v. Hall which established that Asians had no rights to testify against White citizens. To note, during the 1800s, anti-Asian racism was primarily directed towards Chinese individuals and anyone that was perceived as Chinese.

Anti-Coolie Act of 1862 in which Asian immigrants were forced to pay a monthly tax to run businesses in California.

Naturalization Act of 1870 which allowed naturalization for Blacks and Africans, but denied citizenship to Asians as well as denied the immigration of Asian women.

Chinese Massacre of 1871

Page Act of 1875 was an immigration law in which Chinese women were denied entry into America as a means of “population control”.

1878 In Re Ah Yup Case in which Asians were ruled unfit for participation in government and thus ineligible for naturalization.

1879 Constitution of California in which Chinese employment became strictly prohibited.

Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 passed by President Chester A. Arthur and Congress that implemented a 10-year ban on Chinese labor immigration. This also included anyone perceived as Chinese.

Geary Act of 1892, an extension of the Chinese Exclusion Act.

1885 Rock Springs, Wyoming Murders in which 28 Chinese coal miners were murdered, 15 were wounded, and Rock Spring’s Chinatown was burned to the ground.

Chinese Americans had a huge part in connecting the country through the building of the Transcontinental Railroad and were frequently given the most dangerous, fatal jobs while earning less than their White counterparts.

1900-1904 San Francisco's Chinatown Bubonic Plague in which Chinese citizens were segregated and quarantined while White citizens were allowed freedom.

1904 World's Fair Louisiana Purchase Centennial Exposition in which Filipino immigrants were placed within a human zoo.

Pacific Coast Race Riots of 1907

The Asiatic Exclusion League, also known as the Japanese and Korean Exclusion League.

1913 Alien Land Law in which Asian land ownership was restricted and then banned entirely.

Immigration Act of 1917 in which immigration from the Asia-Pacific was banned with the exception of select professionals.

1922 Cable Act in which Asians were excluded from citizenship.

1923 US v Bhagat in which it was ruled that all Hindu people were ineligible for naturalization.

1924 Immigration Act in which ass immigration from Asia was banned.

1924 National Origins Quota in which Japanese were excluded from immigration and citizenship.

1927 Lum v. Rice in which it was ruled that the exclusion of Chinese American children from school did not violate the 14th Amendment.

1933 Roldan v. LA County in which Filipinos were denied citizenship and the Anti-Miscegenation Laws were amended to forbid the interracial marriages of Filipinos and Whites.

1934 Tyding-McDuffle Act in which Filipino immigration way limited to only 50 people per year.

1937 Anti-Alien Land Law in which Filipino Americans were banned from becoming landowners.

1942-1946 Executive order of President Franklin Roosevelt that forced all Japanese people, regardless of citizenship, into Japanese Internment Camps.

1943 Magnuson Act that repealed the Chinese Exclusion Act and banned more that 105 Chinese immigrants per year.

1946 Luce-Celler Act in which Indian immigrants were banned beyond a quota of 100 immigrants per year.

1982 Murder of Vincent Chin in which the Chinese American man was beat to death with a baseball bat in Detroit after being mistaken as Japanese by two anti-Japan White men. His assailants were convicted of murder but never served any jail time.

1985–1993 Jersey City based anti-Indian and anti-Hindu hate group known as the Dotbusters

Post-9/11 Islamophobia

2001 Murder of Balbir Singh Sodhi in which the Sikh American man was profiled as an Arab Muslim by a White man on an anti-Muslim shooting spree in Mesa, Arizona.

2007 Murder of Cha Vang in which the Hmong man’s body was found in the woods near Peshtigo, Wisconsin after being shot and stabbed.

2011 Military investigation of the death of Danny Chen in which the Chinese American was found dead from a presumed death by suicide in his living quarters at the base in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. It was reported that he was subjected to extreme physical abuse and ethnic slurs and insults at the hands of his superiors and fellow soldiers.

Many Asian Americans are assumed foreign even if they speak perfect, fluent English and even if they have lived in America for generations, igniting the fear of deportation that can discourage Asian Americans from reporting anti-Asian hate crimes. Asian Americans are also frequently blown off by non-Asians if they harbor even a slightly perceived accent, often deeming them “incoherent” while the Model Minority Myth is consistently used to justify non-Asians minimizing the Asian struggle into just “complaining” rather than being actual legitimate problems.

Tension between the Black and Asian communities has occurred for what almost feels like the dawn of history and remains perpetuated by the Model Minority Myth that hyper-fetishizes Asians as the “good” and “ideal” people of color that are “honorary White” while treating Blacks, Latine, and BIPOC as the “bad” and “problematic” people of color. Essentially, the Model Minority Myth has persisted as a tool to advance White Supremacy by inciting horizontal aggression to remove White Supremacy as the focus and root to systemic racism.

I do not write about this nor focus so heavily on anti-Asian racism to discredit or minimize anti-Blackness nor will I ever deny that too many Asian Americans have internalized the Model Minority Myth and anti-Blackness. However, that does not excuse anti-Asianness any more than anti-Asianness excuses anti-Blackness.

Prior to the murders in Atlanta, the reception of Ginny & Georgia’s “Oppression Olympics” scene was not well received by critics and, more devastatingly, less well received by people of color. A quick Google search regarding the scene could bring up dozens of articles that focused on the cringe-worthy scene, but more overwhelming were the personal responses of people of color on Twitter. More specifically, from my observation, the responses of Black and mixed Black Twitter patrons who claimed that such a scenario was unrealistic and dramatized because they had never personally found themselves in such a situation.

I do not wish to invalidate those people, but I vehemently beg to differ because scenarios such as the “Oppression Olympics” scene are ones I, and likely many other Asian identifying people of color, have found myself in repeatedly during my life. Dishearteningly, majority of the critique against the scene focused on Hunter utilizing Black stereotypes and anti-Black rhetoric while Ginny’s responses laced in Asian stereotypes and anti-Asian rhetoric were ignored and unacknowledged.

In fact, the entire scene was meant to be offensive with both characters trading racist rhetoric to prove the point that being “Black enough” or “Asian enough” is a battle that neither could ever win when the very definitions utilized to describe their respective ethnicities are rooted in racial bias and racial stereotyping founded by White Supremacy. Yet, this point seems to have gone over the heads of many viewers precisely because of the unyielding societal belief that anti-Asian racism does not exist and and the subsequent gaslighting and denial of Asian struggle to reduce Asian racial struggles into simply “complaining”.

White Supremacy has tricked every person of color into the belief that oppression has only one face, one method, and one mode by insisting on the Model Minority Myth and the Black-White Binary in which our entire American socio-political society was built and continues to act on.

I feel like I have nothing more to add at the moment that would not just be a repeat of things I have already addressed, so I will instead end this post with three TikToks I have happened upon that I believe are significant to the topic.

chinforshort

theluncheonlawyer

peterperrylam

Below are some resources related to anti-Asian racism to supplement this post.

“Anti-Asian violence has surged in the US since COVID-19. But it didn't start there” by Maura Hohman

“The Muddled History of Anti-Asian Violence” by Hua Hsu

“The long, ugly history of anti-Asian racism and violence in the U.S.” by Gillian Brockell

“The history of attacks against Asian Americans is complicated. Addressing it will be, too” by Harmeet Kaur

“The long Western legacy of violence against Asian Americans” by Jane C. Hu

#author's note #substack saw it first #social justice #interracial relationships #interracial relations #black history #asian history #ginny and georgia #netflix #netflix series #netflix ginny and georgia #pop culture analysis #long post #critical race studies #critical race theory #op ed #opinion post #writeblr

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dunilefra · 2 years

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Facts of Georgia's Constitution

Preamble

We, the citizens of Georgia - whose firm will it is to establish a democratic social order, economic freedom, and a legal and a social state; to secure universally recognised human rights and freedoms; and to enhance state independence and peaceful relations with other peoples - drawing on the centuries-old traditions of the statehood of the Georgian nation and the historical and legal legacy of the Constitution of Georgia of 1921, proclaim this Constitution before God and the nation.

Article 4. Legal state (Part of it)

2. The State acknowledges and protects universally recognised human rights and freedoms as eternal and supreme human values. While exercising authority, the people and the State shall be bound by these rights and freedoms as directly applicable law. The Constitution shall not deny other universally recognised human rights and freedoms that are not explicitly referred to herein, but that inherently derive from the principles of the Constitution.

5. The legislation of Georgia shall comply with the universally recognised principles and norms of international law. An international treaty of Georgia shall take precedence over domestic normative acts unless it comes into conflict with the Constitution or the Constitutional Agreement of Georgia.

Article 13. Human liberty

5. The detention period for an accused person shall not exceed 9 months.

Article 27. Right to education and academic freedom (Part of it)

1. Everyone has the right to receive education and the right to choose the form of education they receive.

Article 28. Right to the protection of health

1. The right of a citizen to affordable and quality health care services shall be guaranteed by law.

2. The State shall exercise control over all health care institutions and the quality of medical services, and shall regulate the production and circulation of pharmaceuticals.

Article 29. Right to environmental protection

1. Everyone has the right to live in a healthy environment and enjoy the natural environment and public space. Everyone has the right to receive full information about the state of the environment in a timely manner. Everyone has the right to care for the protection of the environment. The right to participate in the adoption of decisions related to the environment shall be ensured by law.

2. Environmental protection and the rational use of natural resources shall be ensured by law, taking into account the interests of current and future generations.

Article 31. Procedural rights (Part of it)

1. Every person has the right to apply to a court to defend his/her rights. The right to a fair and timely trial shall be ensured.

6. No one shall be obliged to prove his/her innocence. The burden of proof shall rest with the prosecution.

10. Evidence obtained in violation of the law shall have no legal force.

Article 37. Parliamentary elections (Part of it)

1. Following the full restoration of Georgia's jurisdiction throughout the entire territory of Georgia, two chambers shall be established within Parliament: the Council of the Republic and the Senate. The Council of the Republic shall be composed of members elected by a proportional system. The Senate shall be composed of members elected from the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia, the Autonomous Republic of Ajara and other territorial units of Georgia, and five members appointed by the President of Georgia. The composition, powers, and procedures for the election of chambers shall be determined by the organic law.

6. The mandates of Members of Parliament shall be distributed only to those political parties that receive at least 5 % of valid votes cast in the elections. To determine the amount of mandates received by a political party, the amount of votes received by this party shall be multiplied by 150 and divided by the total number of votes received by all political parties that received at least 5 % of valid votes cast in the elections. The integer part of the number thus derived is the amount of mandates received by the political party. If the total amount of mandates received by political parties is fewer than 150, the political parties with the best results shall receive the undistributed mandates in a successive manner.

Article 52. Powers of the President of Georgia

h. be entitled, upon recommendation by the Government and with the consent of Parliament, to suspend the activity of a representative body of a territorial unit, or to dissolve such a body, if its activities threaten the sovereignty or territorial integrity of the country, or the exercise of constitutional powers by state bodies;

Article 71. State of emergency and martial law

1. In cases of armed attack, or a direct threat of armed attack on Georgia, the President of Georgia shall, upon recommendation by the Prime Minister, declare martial law, sign a truce (provided that the appropriate conditions are in place), and shall immediately present these decisions to Parliament for approval. The decision to declare martial law shall enter into force upon its announcement. Parliament approves the decision upon its assembly. If Parliament does not approve the decision following a vote, it shall become null and void.

by Dunilefra, working for Political Reform

#Georgia #Dunilefra #Politics #Political Reform #World Politics #World Order #Fundamental Rights #Human Rights #Economy #Religion #State Policy #Political Analysis #Constitution #Constitutional Law #Law

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dungeons-are-too-cold · 2 years

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Jawbone has done some shit and been in some pretty fucked up situations, but he never tries to hide that which is what makes him such a great guy. He is like "Hell yeah I've gotten close to every std and yeah I almost turned adaine into a werewolf once but nobody is above redemption if they do their absolute best to grow and be a better person and treat themselves better than they did before" and that attitude is what turns ragh and helps him accept himself, and thats what helps adaine realize she isn't a bad person and builds her confidence, and it's what helps fig mend her relationship with her mom, it's a whole host of things that come from this.

Shit is fucked sometimes, and life can suck, and honestly there is no doubt that you as a person are going to suck sometimes or get into a sucky situation, but that isn't who you are. This idea of a perfectly clean moral slate is not only unachievable but is also incredibly harmful, and when you can let go of some of that need for control and perfection, that's when you can really start to heal and to grow as a person.

and thats really fucking awesome of him

#jawbone #dimension 20 #d20 #fantasy high #jawbone o'shaughnessey #fantasy high spoilers #fantasy high season 2 #fantasy high sophomore year #d20 fhsy #fhsy #fhsy spoilers #dimension 20 fantasy high #d20 fantasy high #georgia’s not so critical analysis

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thedansemacabres · 5 months

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An Introduction To Wine for Dionysians

A photo from my wine class, the pink being my Chambourcin and Sangiovese rosés.

[ID: An image of two wine glasses on a stainless steel table. The first glass, closer to the observer, is bright pink. The second glass, to the right of the pink one is a salmon colour and slightly blurry.] THIS POST IS SLIGHTLY BASIC, IN MY OPINION. It’s not exactly hard to research wine, especially now that the industry is beginning to have new winemakers such as myself. But this is my job and passion, so I thought it may be useful in the end. Especially for us Dionysians, most who never engage in the winemaking process—which is fine, but it does offer a more intimate knowledge of his realms. So as a winemaker myself, I want to share the wonders of winemaking with others. This post is meant to be a quick introduction to wine from a viticulturist and enologist.

SOME TERMINOLOGY

Entering the world of wine does require a basic understanding of some jargon. To make it easy, I have listed some common terms:

Anthocyanins — the red-purple colour compound in red grapes

Bret — short for Bretannomyces, this is an endemic yeast to Europe and often a pest in wineries. This yeast creates leather, hide, barnyard, etc., flavours and aromas in wine. This is often desirable in small amounts in certain styles, but can quickly overpower a wine.

Fault — an issue with the wine, typically in flavour, aroma, colour, or taste. Faults are subjective and sometimes may be beneficial. A key part of wine sensory analysis is tasting faults.

Macerate — a process in which colour and flavour is leached from the skins of the grape. This is most common in reds and is aided by ethanol.

Noble Rot — a form of Botrytis Cinerea that is beneficial within the wine process to make sweet wines.

Press — a winemaking device that extracts juices from grapes to make wine

Terroir — the characteristic taste and flavor imparted to a wine by the environment in which it is produced.

Vintage — the year the grapes were harvested and are typically fermented in the same year, however, this is not always the case.

ANCIENT, OLD WORLD, AND NEW WORLD

The wine world has often been divided into “old world” and “new world”, but I have personally taken a liking to the classification of some wine regions as ancient world wine regions. These regions would be Georgia, Armenia, Assyrian lands, Greece, some parts of Italy, and more. Ancient winemaking is well, winemaking in regions that have continuously made wine with the same or similar techniques over thousands of years. An ancient wine that I always recommend to Dionysians is Retsina.

Old world wine is essentially European wine. While this term has its issues, it is the one that the wine industry understands. Europe has been making wine for hundreds of years, thousands in some regions. Old world wine is known for the less fruity, more aged styles, along with producing table wine. These wines also tend to be oaked, in which the wood imparts flavours into the wine which is dependent on the type of wood used. Bret is also common in the old world, which is often a hit or miss with consumers.

New world wine is wine made in wine regions that are relatively new, associated with more scientific approaches to wine. Another way to look at it is wine regions that are or were colonies of Europe, though a few new world wine regions do not have this history. New world wine is often associated with brightness, fruity flavours, higher alcohol levels, etc.

Simply put:

Ancient — regions such as the Fertile Crescent, Palestine, Assyrian lands, Greece, parts of Italy, etc.,

Old — Europe, including wine regions more similar to the new world such as Slovakia

New — Generally colonised countries, the largest example being the United States.

TYPES OF WINE

Most people grasp the basics: white wine comes from white grapes and red wine comes from red grapes. However, of course, it gets more complicated from here. To list it simply:

White wine is wine made from white grapes that are removed from the skins.

Red wine is made from red grapes left to macerate on the skins.

Orange wine is made from white grapes left to macerate on the skins.

Rose is made from red wines removed from the skins.

Pink wines are wines made through blending white and red wine, considered of lesser craftsmanship than a rose by most winemakers

Commercial wines are typically whites, reds, and rose/pink. Orange wines are seldom found outside of Slovenia and Georgia due to tradition. Overall, the wine world considers orange wine strange, however the market has been increasing in recent years.

Wine is also a term applied to fruit wines (fruit other than grapes). Legally in most regions, wine can only be applied to fermented grapes—though of course, nobody listens to that. Essentially, I like to phrase wine as anything made from fermented fruits, roots, and tree-sugars. Cider is technically wine, but this is defined in the USA by tax brackets—below 8% ABV is a cider, over is an apple fermented product/wine.

WINE STYLES

To put it simply: there are thousands of wine styles. I cannot summarise them here, however I will try to summarise some of the common styles I know of.. ‘Old world’ and ‘new world’ are also considered broad styles.

Dessert Wines

Dessert wine as a term is dependent on location, as in the USA it is any wine over 14% ABV. In the UK, it is often classified as a sweet wine drunk before a meal. It is also usd colloquially for sweet, high-alcohol wines that are drunk with dessert. A bit of a meaningless term, but it is used regardless.

Sweet Wines

Sweet wines are wines that have residual sugar from fermentation. Most wines are finished dry, which is when the yeast consumes most to all available sugars and converts them into ethanol. This can be intentional or the result of a stuck or dead fermentation. Sweet wines are known for getting people drunk quickly and giving a particularly nasty headache.

Table Wine

Table wine is perfectly named, as these are common wines that are meant to appear at the dinner table and be paired with food. Italy is famous for creating popular table wines such as Chianti and Prosecco. The table wine market is however slowly dying. I personally liken table wines to Dionysus Hestios.

Straw wine

Straw wine is wine made from grapes that have been dried. This makes very sweet wines due to the lack of water.

Rot wines

Rot wines, also called Noble Rot wines, are a unique form of sweet wines created by noble rot. In viticulture, botrytis is a fungus that often ruins clusters by mummifying grape clusters. In the right conditions however, it instead only takes the water content in a grape berry over a series of days before perishing. Rot wines often occur near rivers, lakes, and other regions with mist and then scorching sun. This fascinating process creates natural sweet wines—many of which demand high price points, such as sauternes that are priced at over one thousand euros. Another form of rot wine I enjoy is Slovak tokaji.

In my personal practice, these wines hold a special spot due to my focus on divine rot. Dionysus wise, I think these wines possess such a unique quality of him—they are dead yet not, and Dionysus may be found in the marshes where rot blooms.

Sparkling Wine

Often known as champagne, sparkling wine is wine that when opened/poured will fizz with carbon dioxide bubbles. This is usually due to secondary fermentation, in which yeast are inoculated to ferment trace amounts of sugar to create the carbonation that appears when you open the bottle. Sparkling wine can only be labelled champagne if it is from Champagne, France. With the climate crisis however, champagne may disappear and Southern England has been contending to become the next major sparkling wine region.

There are lesser quality sparkling wines made by injecting carbonation into the metal wine vats. This is common with sparkling juices that are not fermented.

Fortified Wines

When you think of Port, that is a fortified wine. These wines are mixed in with ethanol, typically spirits, to increase the alcohol content of the wines. This makes them less likely to spoil and creates a unique flavour profile.

Some traditional fortified wines are Port, Sherry,

Cooking Wines

These are wines that are not typically used for drinking, but rather feature as a culinary ingredient. This does not mean low quality however, as some cooking wines such madeira can fetch a very high price point.

BARRELS

Barrels are enchanting. Even if I see them daily, there is a bit of romance to working with them. Wines are put in barrels for storage and for flavour. The most common wood used in wine are oaks, with French oak (Quercus robur) and American oak (Quercus alba) being the most common and stylistic. Barrels are a core aspect of traditionally ageing wine, as the barrel allows enough oxygen into the liquid to be beneficial. For those who do not know, oxygen degrades wine over time. This is why cheaper wines quickly turn bad, as they were not designed to age.

The flavour-changing profile of wood-contact on wine works through phenols and other compounds interacting with the oak, creating vanilla flavours. For other woods, a similar process occurs, such as Pine creating a pinewood taste, chestnut increasing the perception of sweetness, etc. Research is being continued on alternative woods in winemaking.

Barreling is not the only source of flavour profile in wine. Wines gain their flavour from three sources. This is simply:

Primary: flavours derived from the grape

Secondary: flavours derived from yeast. Yeast often create secondary flavour compounds, such as floral, herbal, spicy, etc notes.

Tertiary: barrel and ageing flavour.

When doing wine tastings, these are excellent factors to begin wine analysis. Deciphering these notes allows one to build a palette and understand more of the expanses of vinification.

GRAPE CULTIVARS

Grape cultivars, also called varietals, are what impart unique flavours into a wine at the primary level. Each cultivar gives its own unique flavour profile. The most commonly planted grapes are the noble varieties, which were prized by French nobility—these being grapes such as Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc.

Grape cultivars can change their profile depending on where they are grown, called terroir. As an example, a French Cabernet Sauvignon is completely different from a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Terroir encompasses soil, weather patterns, climate, etc. Another example is that wines made in years of heavy wildfires often taste smoky and Australian wines taste burnt due to the extreme sun exposure.

Profit and market trends have caused lesser known and cultural grapes in many places to become extinct or endangered. There are movements and efforts to preserve these cultural vines and many wine drinkers are interested in the unique experiences rare cultivars can provide.

Cultivars also often have regional and cultural significance. The Bacchus grape has been found to grow excellently in southern England, Agiorgitiko is the most common Greek red grape, Sangiovese is the grape for Tuscan Chianti, etc. In the new world, Grape cultivars often take on new significance, such as Sauvignon Blanc in New Zealand. As obscure grapevines become more popular, regional and forgotten grape varieties have been reappearing.

Hybrid vines, which are some of my favourite, are the result of viticultural science. These are vines bred to exhibit certain traits, whether as a ‘find out’ project or specially designed for certain wine regions. These are often called French-American hybrids, however hybrids are also being produced in Korea, Slovakia, and other countries. One of the most commonly planted hybrids is Chambourcin, called ‘king of the hybrid reds’, due to its striking fuschia red or barbie pink rose and desirable flavour profile. I have made a post over these hybrids before and they are readily searchable for anyone interested.

There are thousands of cultivars and new cultivars are created each year. The world of wine is ever expansive when it comes to grapevines, just as Dionysus always brings something new. There is always something new to try, or a new spin on something familiar. Yet when we crave a taste of something familiar, traditional varieties and vintages are around to return to. Wine is both new and old, alive and dead, familiar and yet ever-changing.

HOW TO BEGIN IN WINE

Beginning in wine is as simple as buying wine. Advancing understanding then comes through sensory analysis, experimentation, trying new and different wines, historical research, and much more. I doubt most people will be like myself, who decided to get an associates degree in winemaking and make it my secondary career. Honestly, it’s much more fun as a hobby than a job.

I recommend experiencing the differences between reds and whites, along with sampling table wines with and without food. Picking out grape varietals is also fun, but may be subtle. As an example, a sauvignon blanc is immediately recognisable for its bellpepper note, but I have developed the skill to taste the general region where sauvignon blanc was grown (it is my favourite white wine grape).

I have touched upon sensory analysis and terminology with it, such as palette and body, but I will reserve that for another post. Trying wine and research is the best way to begin—and there is no such thing as beginner wine in my opinion. There are wines that are harsh, different, and likely undesirable to someone who is used to sweet juice and unchallenging sweet drinks, however I believe it limits a wine explorer when you limit yourself to “beginner wines”. Finding that brings you joy matters most, whether that is a classic sweet wine or mouth-punching red. And pour some out for Dionysus, the sweet lord of the eternal winepress.

view this post on wordpress

References

Bird, D. (2011). Understanding Wine Technology, 3rd Edition: The Science of Wine Explained. Board and Bench Publishing. Puckette, M., & Hammack, J. (2018). Wine Folly: Magnum Edition: The Master Guide. Penguin UK.

Wilson, J. (2019). Godforsaken grapes: A slightly tipsy journey through the world of strange, obscure, and ... underappreciated wine. HARRY N ABRAMS.

Wine microbiology. (2007). In Springer eBooks. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-33349-6

#vīnum #dragonis.txt #witchcraft #paganism #hellenic polytheism #witchblr #dionysus deity #pagan #dionysus worship #hellenic polytheist #helpol #hellenic paganism

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ingravinoveritas · 1 year

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whizzoqualityassortment replied to your post “Yeah Georgia’s birthday post for David is cute but…”

I don’t ship DT and MS at all, but OTOH I think there is something odd about his relationship with GT. Sincere and loving but…lacking. And as much as I enjoy her snark, her tendency to promote every damn activity would piss me off mightily if I were DT. It’s too performative, if you get my drift. You can’t live all your Big Life Events publicly; it’s not healthy. And that makes me sad for them.

I think this is a very astute observation and fits how I (and others) would describe David and Georgia’s relationship as well. It is definitely a difficult balance to strike with social media--posting too much, posting too little, and so on--so I don’t blame Georgia for struggling with that at times, especially because much of what she posts is about further her “brand” and a specific image. I do agree, though, that many of her posts do come across as performative--as if she’s pushing a specific narrative, regardless of whether it matches reality--and at times it starts to make you notice what’s not there more than what is.

And I think that’s part of what has lead me (and others) to ship David and Michael...because there is nothing “performative” about the way they are together. When the GO 1 press tour happened, there were obviously things going on that were about promoting the show. But Michael and David together have never felt forced, or performative, and whatever it is that’s (to use your word) lacking in David’s relationship with Georgia, he seems to have found it in Michael. And it’s not saying that he loves Georgia any less, but that he also loves Michael in a different (but no less powerful) way, especially because things have kept going so far beyond the press tour to where Michael and David have seemingly gotten even closer over the last four years.

But I do agree with you, it’s not necessarily a good thing if Georgia feels that she has to put all of hers and David’s “big life events” out in public. It actually makes me glad that David isn’t on social media, and is hopefully able to have moments (with Georgia, his kids, Michael) that we know absolutely nothing about, but that are just as meaningful. I appreciate what you’ve said here so much, though. It certainly does give one a lot to think about...

#whizzoqualityassortment #reply post #david tennant #soft scottish hipster gigolo #georgia tennant #every day David's decision not to be on social media seems wiser #excellent analysis though #things that make you think #relationships #discourse

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hearts4youz · 3 months

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The Captains Daughter- Chapter 20

A/N: Chat, I am back. I really hope you enjoy this, It's severely overdue, but thank you all for staying with me on this!!!

Taglist:

@abbiesxox @n30n-j3lly @weird-katthing @kayoyamamegame @kroowonderemporium @astro-ghoul99 @darkravenqueen98 @gaylilangelbabyy @yuunnnaaaa @unicorngirly1 @noodlezz-bedo

Word count: 2k

Reader pov:

The following weeks are quite uneventful. We are sent on a few minor missions, all of which are successful, and are in a state of immense boredom. You almost want a war to break out at this point. But one late January day, your father calls everyone to the debriefing room. Anticipating a new mission, possibly one with more excitement, you and the 141 are practically bouncing on the balls of your feet with anticipation. One by one, you file in and sit down at the familiar long wooden table. knees bounce with expectation under the table.

Price walks in, everyone draws a breath.

Oddly, price has no folders in his hand, no loose papers, nothing. He walks in silently, clears his throat, sits at the head of the table and clasps his hands. He pauses before speaking.

"We're going to a wedding," he puts bluntly.

everyone exchanges confused glances.

"Well that was anticlimactic," Soap blurts.

Everyone breaks into chatter about the event before Price raises his hands to quiet the room.

"It's a good friend of mine, we served together. Names Bill,"

ohhhhh uncle Bill, you thought to yourself, happy for him and his soon-to-be wife.

Everyone nods and discusses the dress code, "Wait, wait, wait... am I going to have to wear a suit?" a voice from the corner of the room speaks up.

You turned toward the sound and saw Ghost, obviously peeved about having to dress up.

"Yes Ghost, your going to have to put on a suit," Your dad rolls his eyes.

The chatter continues as everyone files out of the room, the wedding was on for tomorrow evening, and you needed a dress. You contemplated returning home to get something out of your closet, but your overused sundresses just wouldn't cut it. You needed something flattering and mature.

That afternoon, you got permission to drive into the city to shop. The nearest mall was an hours drive from the base. Plugging your phone into the aux, you drowned out the hum of the road with an upbeat playlist for the drive.

You soon found yourself in a gorgeous, modern yet classy store. Elegant dresses lined the wall, from ballroom length to cocktail, there was no shortage of styles. Time, however, was of the essence. As you wandered aimlessly through the endless racks of dresses, an employee noticed your distress and walked over to introduce herself.

"Hey there! my names Georgia, how are you today?"

You give her a relieved smile. "Lost," you admit.

"Oh, happens to everyone, no worries. come with me, i'll get you measured and we'll find your perfect match!" Georgia says cheerfully.

She walks you over to an area near the fitting rooms, a plush ottoman and a soft rug are on the floor in front of a tall mirror. Georgia grabs her measuring tape and notes a few things.

"So, what occasion is this dress for?"

"A wedding, distant family friend."

She hums, "Okay so, like stunning... but like not steal the show stunning."

"Oh well I hardly think I could steal any of the spotlight from-"

Georgia cuts you off, "Nonsense! your absolutely enchanting!"

You give a weak smile at the complement as she goes and finds multiple dresses in various styles and colors. She goes through a quick but in depth fitting and analysis of each. Within the hour, you find one that you fall in love with. You can't help but grin as you look at the way the fabric showcases your body perfectly. You take it to the register and pay, bidding Georgia goodbye with a wave and a thank you.

That night, you do your best at an attempt to sleep. Your efforts remain futile as you toss and turn thinking of tomorrow. Catching up with old friends and family, dancing and drinking, but best of all...

Ghost gets to see you in a dress, The most flattering and gorgeous dress you've ever picked out. Finally, you find yourself drifting off slowly with those exciting thoughts.

-timeskip-

You arrive at the reception with your father, the rest of the group has their own rides. You try to let loose a little by grabbing a drink and catching up with friends and family, but you find yourself eyeing the door constantly, waiting for your masked comrade to walk in.

"Watching for danger eh? can't escape them habits the military drills into ya," The groom comes up behind you and ruffles your hair. You half smile and turn towards him.

"How ya been kid?" he asks.

The two of you chat for a few minutes before he goes off to find your father, you return to watching the door, thankful that he thought it was military instinct.

About an hour goes by and you down a few drinks, you were slightly buzzed but your mind was still clear. You still keep an eye on the door, waiting for Simon. You hardly notice when an old childhood friend of yours snakes an arm around your shoulder.

Startled, you flinch and raise your fist, but then you realize who it is and drop your arm awkwardly.

"Oh... uh... sorry Jake," you mumble.

"Ha! You musta had half a mind to think I was some kinda creep," Jake smirks and pulls you in for a hug. You try to pull away, but he has a vice-like grip around your shoulders.

You and Jake had been neighbors as kids, he was always over keeping you company after your mom left. The two of you had grown up like siblings, that's how you saw it at least...

Around your teenage years, you had started to experiment with boys a bit. Jake HATED all of your boyfriends. At first, it seemed like a protective older brother type thing, but after a while Jake got possessive. He followed you on dates, stalked the social media of all the boys you talked to, he scared people off and you hated it. This marked the beginning of the end of your friendship. Once you graduated and went to basic training, you talked to Jake less and less. Seeing him here was startling to say the least.

"Oh uh... yeah... didn't recognize you I guess," you said awkwardly, avoiding eye contact.

You scanned the venue for a familiar face to start a conversation with so you could get away from Jake. He seemed to notice this and tilted your chin up so you were looking at him.

"You here with anyone," Jake asked.

"Just uh... my dad," you decided to leave the 141 out of it so Jake wouldn't get angry and try anything.

"Mhm, how about I buy you a drink then?" he suggested.

"Uhm no... I've got one already," you gestured with your half empty glass. plus, you wanted to keep a clear mind in case Jake tried anything.

The night went on and you finally broke off from Jake. You floated in-between conversations, still no sign of Ghost, but you had seen Gaz and Soap briefly. In the midst of your search for the Lieutenant, you found yourself on the dance floor. Unfortunately, Jake found you too.

"Ah, Y/N, thought I lost you there,"

You chuckled uncomfortably, trying to keep it polite. The song switched to a slow dance and Jake reached for your hand.

"Seeing you here has brought me back," he whispered in your ear. "You've matured since high school" He places his other hand on your waist and you try to wiggle away.

"Jake stop"

"Oh, I'm sorry, where are my manners. May I have this dance?" He smirked.

"No. No you may not," You didn't know if it was the alcohol or not but you suddenly gained the courage to push him away, leaving all formalities behind.

"Y/N come on... we're made for each other, I know you better than anyone," Jake's voice grew more stern and threatening as he pulled you closer again.

"I...no...n-" your voice squeaked.

Suddenly, Jake's face turned pale, his eyes widened and you felt a hand on your shoulder.

"She's taken," Ghost says bluntly.

You are shocked at the turn of events and spin around to see Ghost, which causes you to fall a little off balance, but ghost places a strong hand on the small of your back to support you.

"I've gotcha, this prick won't bother you anymore," he says softly to you. His voice becomes more menacing when he faces Jake, "are we clear?"

The three words from Ghost are all it takes for Jake to give a quick nod and make his exit. Ghost gives a quick grunt "An old friend?"

"Yeah, something of the sort..." you breathe, watching him go.

Ghost clears his throat, "Sorry i'm late."

"It's no big deal, you came just in time."

"Yeah, just in time to dance with you."

Your heart rate quickens as you process his words. Is he joking? there's no way...

Soon enough, the two of you are whisked into the whirlwind of couples, Ghost dips and spins you with great care, as if you are a fragile porcelain doll. You've danced with men before, but this man makes you feel like a princess.

"You look gorgeous by the way," he says softly.

Okay, no way he's actually saying this, i'm dreaming.

"You look uh... good... er handsome yourself," you say breathlessly.

Come on liquid courage! do something other than make me tipsy!

You continue to move fluidly all over the floor, "You've got some experience I see," you joke.

"Mmh... maybe I just did my research beforehand," he smirked.

The song ends and the two of you take a seat. You take him in, his suit, which shows off his biceps and seems perfectly tailored to him. His balaclava, which he exchanged for a plain black one instead of skull print.

"You clean up nicely, trying to impress someone?" You say teasingly.

"I guess you could say that," he shrugs nonchalantly.

Now that's an answer you weren't expecting.

You sit in silence for a moment before Ghost speaks up. "That guy back there, was he trying anything on you?"

"To dance with me, yeah."

Ghost furrows his eyebrows, "and you know him?"

"Yeah... long story."

"Hm."

More silence follows until Ghost speaks again. "Seeing you with him, I didn't like that one bit," he looks straight ahead, not at you.

"Jealous?" you smirk.

"Yeah I uh... I guess you could say that," he sighs, still looking ahead.

Silence again

"You know what, fuck it," Ghost says slightly louder. "I didn't like seeing you with whatever his name was because I like you." he says matter-of-factly.

Your breath catches "I...I-you...me..."

he did not just say that

"I like you a lot and I couldn't give a fuck what our ranks are or who your father is, I just want... no, I NEED you to be mine," He continues.

"I...I uh... yes," You are embarrassed at how much of a nervous wreck you are right now.

"I'm taking that as a you like me back," Ghost says.

"Y-yes," you breathe.

You slowly get more comfortable as the night drags on, you never leave the side of your new boyfriend as the two of you bask in each other.

"All I want to do right now is dote on you and love you, show you my caring side," Ghost says at one point.

You giggle, "is the alcohol getting to you? Are you going to regret this in the morning?"

"Nope, completely sober, wouldn't want to forget this night with you."

The rest of the night is like a dream, you can't help but picture how the following days will be with this new relationship. hopefully this hangover won't be a smack in the face in the morning.

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