This is not a distraction post. Quite frankly, I am delighted that Mr A has chosen to go political on us, *especially* after his latest delete-fest. *Any* time is a time for taking a political stand, but maybe I am particularly primed for it as Ireland is in the last 24 hours before its general election (tomorrow). While I keep the blog generally reserved for RA-related stuff and refrain from politicising (because it is OT in the context of my blog), I strongly welcome the expression of political views by my favourite celebs. Yeah, yeah, “I try not to vent my personal political views publicly, I’m an actor after all so I should probably stick to that“, Richard said in his 2015 Christmas message. In fact I completely disagree. An actor is a human. All humans are political animals. An actor is a political animal. (Aristotle) And as an actor with celebrity status, Richard has an audience and a wide reach – I find that almost an *obligation* to speak up. Whether his audience will agree with his views or not, is immaterial. The point is that an opinion voiced by an “influencer” creates awareness. And that is needed, more than ever!
I am more than pleased that Richard has chosen to air his views. Living in Berlin and working on a post-Cold War production as he currently does, it is impossible to ignore the historical precedent that was set in Berlin with the building of the wall in 1961. Those of us who remember the wall in situ, have an obligation to prevent something like the Iron Curtain from falling down on us again. It is bad enough that there are euphemistically named “peace lines” still in existence in the world. Palestine and Northern Ireland come to mind. They do not keep the peace. They keep humans from interacting and communicating, they segregate and classify into those who are wanted and those who are not. Which goes against the first law of humanity: We are all equal. So, a massive big thank you to Richard Armitage for commenting on politics and pointing out that walls create dead ends! Anywhere in the world.
Enough pontification. This is a shrine post, and here we go. I had to wait a long time to blog about this particular RAPS mini. It was due for commenter Austoz who lives in – you can guess from her name – Australia. An Post took its sweet time to deliver my package, but I finally received confirmation about its arrival while I was wandering Berlin. Austoz was one of the supporters of the cRAfting for charity auctions last year and won the mini shrine for her participation.
Panther or Tiger? Guy or Dolly?
A black panther. Leather clad. On the prowl since 1192. Yes, it’s Sir Guy. (Can you see the black panther sneaking into the tin?)
The black and yellow feathers refer to Guy’s coat of arms. And well, I just could not resist adorning the beautiful knight with a little flower. Looks pretty good. (Next thing he’ll be wearing Hello Kitty hair clips…)
But nothing can deface a beautiful man. Or question Sir Guy’s masculinity. In fact, a bit of humour makes any man sexy. It speaks of reflection and intelligence. I hope Austoz agrees with me on that. And smiles on her RAPS.
Have a nice Guy Day tomorrow! I hope it is a good sign for my desired election outcomes in Ireland.
Guylty Pleasure 
Lucky her. Congrats
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Long overdue… that auction thing was last September *gulps*
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Has it been that long??? Wow. Time flies.
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Yup – and damn, I meant to include some feedback re. Save the Children who sent me a letter. Ah well, separate post, then.
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Yay! Another RAPS finds it’s way Down Under! Congrats to Austoz. 🙂
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Slowly building a RAPS community down under 😉
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Oh, boy, oh, Guy! That rear is circling the facebook pages as a gif for the last couple of days. Everywhere I look, here it is again. *gulp* As if saying: you can’t get away from me, no matter where are you, I will find you! 😀 ❤
Congrats, Austoz!
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hehe, I know – those leather peaches in slo-mo are pretty distracting. I have also been quite taken with a gif I saw on Kelly’s blog, of Proctor washing himself. I think I saw a hint of the peaches there, too… And boy-o, the ribs and muscles moving. Hand me my fan, please, and turn the shower to icy-cold… https://nowhereinparticularra.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/tumblr_nm5zw2tirs1qlhck1o1_250.gif?w=500
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Don’t do this to meeeeeeeeeeee!
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It’s a work of art. I mean, *he* is… #sorrynotsorry
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That is horribly distracting❗️ 😈
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Could actually be used for hypnotising effect!
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Too late‼️😈
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I loved it when he scooped up the water and some of it splashed right down over his back! And what a back! Oh my! Did it just get warm in here??? 😉
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I confess, I have been watching that gif for several minutes at a stretch *coughs*. My personal kink is the armpit (hair). (Yeah, weird, I know.) But just the movement of the muscles and ribs under the skin keeps me transfixed. I suspect the “erotic” aspect of the washing scene was not really meant to be the emphasis when Yael Farber put it into the play, but I can’t help but feel affected by the body on display in that way…
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it takes me right back to sitting in row 3 sideways and him turning (to my mind in slow mo) still wet when she appears towards me full chest on display… a few things became clear to me in that instance 🙂
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Yes, walls do create dead ends and I love that Richard spoke up about it! The one I saw near Bethlehem, separating Palestine from Israel, very much looks like the Berlin Wall (with art on it and all!) and it breaks my heart that it’s there!
Luckily you bridge divides Guylty (such as oceans) with your RAPS! This is another little gem. 🙂 Congrats to Austoz!
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That wall in Palestine has me so enraged… How anybody can believe that a wall can solve any problem, is beyond me.
And yes, I love the fact that some of my little boxes of fluff have travelled the world and now are in far away lands.
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Gut gebrüllt, Löwe!
Ich bin ganz begeistert, dass er sich in dieser Weise geäußert hat und stimme dir völlig zu. Seine “gesellschaftliche Stellung” (klingt schwer nach einem Roman von Jane Austen) gibt ihm die Möglichkeit, sich zu engagieren und das bedeutet in diesen unruhigen Zeiten, dass er klar seine Meinung sagt. Wenn er nicht nur ein “Gute-Laune-Schauspieler” sein möchte, der nichts als “Friede, Freude, Eierkuchen” verbreitet, dann gehört Haltung zum Auftreten. Ich denke, dass er sich als Künstler betrachtet (ich tu das) und es ist die Aufgabe der Kunst, Stellung zu beziehen und die Gesellschaft aufzurütteln.
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Ich finde das auch bemerkenswert – fast schon untypisch für Herrn Armitage, angesichts seiner bisherigen Zurückhaltung zu Politik im Allgemeinen. Ja, Künstler sind die progressive Spitze der Gesellschaft, Provokateure und Anstoßgeber. Kunst entsteht schließlich nicht im Vakuum – und der Künstler lebt nicht ohne Luft. Mir gefällt, dass er Meinung und Haltung zeigt.
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Diese Haltung hat er ja auch schon in seinem Weihnachtsgruß geäußert. Er bleibt sich also treu. Eigentlich scheint er mir eh jemand zu sein, der sich viele Gedanken macht und nicht einfach so in den Tag hinein lebt. Vielleicht hat er die Zeichen der Zeit erkannt. (Mal sehen für wie lange?)
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Naja, nach der Breitseite gegen Trump im Weihnachtsbrief braucht er seinen Tweet ja jetzt nicht mehr nachträglich zurückzuziehen…
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Love the flower in Guy’s hair. I seldom comment on anything political because RA is my happy place and politics are the opposite. Especially this year. Actors have every right to express their political views, just like the rest of us. I believe it was an actor/president who asked Gorby to “tear down that wall”. And my state elected another actor to be governor twice. To get elected, politicians have to be actors, I think. They have scripts called “talking points” and various parts to play from seriously concerned to happily kissing babies. See? This is why I don’t comment on politics. I have no “off” button. As for Trump, don’t get me started. It is beyond my understanding that he can be taken seriously as a presidential candidate.
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I understand the reluctance to engage in political discussions. As I said, I am keeping the blog more or less politics-free, too.
I think you are spot-on with your theory that politicians are actors. Unfortunately! I’d rather like them to be genuine people, with integrity and opinion. (That sounds as if actors aren’t such – not what I mean; of course they are.)
Trump is a populist and a provocateur. Mind you, not taking him seriously could be dangerous. You only need to look back 80 years and you’ll see the example of another clever individual who spewed populist BS and used the economic hardship and political confusion of a country to his advantage.
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I don’t think he could win, but hell, I didn’t think he’d last this long in the race. That said, I will happily retreat to Guy land and his leather-clad lusciousness. There are times when reality is definitely overrated. 🙂 She says while crawling into her shrine and shutting the lid behind her.
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On that point I agree – it’s been going on for very long. Great excuse to take refuge in Guy’s arms.
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I was thinking today that the #richardarmitage tag on Twitter is almost all politics. I don’t object to that per se, but I try to stay mostly politics free in my fan life just because I really care about politics in my real life and my real life social media are full of it (even after I resolved not to pay attention — Trump has sort of made mincemeat of that resolution). Also, if you know a lot about the specific political issues being discussed, it’s hard to keep your mouth shut. I’ve been biting my lips all day.
Which isn’t to say he shouldn’t say what he wants to say (I even agree with him). It’s just frustrating that that tweet is now about politics, too.
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You mean, the tag is almost all politics today in the aftermath of his tweet? Makes for a nice change imo – but I respect anyone’s decision not to engage with political statements in their fan life. Besides, Twitter is not a good place for political *discussion*. The 140 character limit is fine for a statement such as RA’s, but a recipe for disaster when it comes to a meaningful discussion.
How did you mean “that tweet is now about politics, too” – could it have been interpreted as anything else, being directed at a controversial politician and referring to an immigration issue, or did I misunderstand your last sentence?
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sorry — I meant “that Twitter,” i.e., Armitage twitter.
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re: 140 char — yes, definitely. I was observing a discussion today about whether Reagan or Gorbachev “made the wall fall” and I wanted to intervene and then I remembered that the name Schabowski has ten letters all by itself, lol.
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LOL – another reason why Germans are not big into Twitter…
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Was für ein kleines Schnuckelchen!!! wirklich bezaubernd der Panther 🙂
Ich habe ganz schön gestaunt, als ich seinen tweet gesehen habe, bisher hat er sich aus politischen Äußerungen aller Art ja völlig rausgehalten. Vielleicht hat er in Berlin ja einiges gesehen, (ich denke aber mehr an das Thema Refugees) so dass er was zum Thema Mauern errichten äußern muss……
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Ich glaube, in Berlin kommt man an dem Thema Mauer einfach nicht vorbei. Und schon gar nicht, wenn man da einen Cold-War-Thriller dreht. Und die Flüchtlingskrise ist derzeit ja sowieso nicht aus Europa wegzudenken. Ich denke mal, dass auch unter Kollegen diskutiert wird. Das muss allerdings nicht bedeuten, dass er sich zwanghaft dazu öffentlich äußern musste – insofern Kudos. (Frage mich, ob es da evtl. auch Einfluss/Vorbildfunktion von Michelle Forbes gibt? Die ist ja auf Twitter recht aktiv und zögert nicht, dort auch zu agitieren. Find ich gut, obwohl mir die vegane Mafia manchmal etwas zu brachial daherkommt…)
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Wenn die Dame so einen Einfluss auf ihn hat soll mir das recht sein 🙂 Er muss ja nicht gleich Veganer werden 🙂
Die ganze Krise spitzt sich langsam zu. Die Grenzen sind jetzt fast alle dicht, auch wenn es Zäune und keine Mauern sind, aktueller denn je! 😦
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ich muss sagen, dass mich die Entwicklung zutiefst entsetzt. Gerade bei den skandinavischen Ländern bin ich wirklich überrascht, wie dort Abschottung betrieben wird. Mit dem europäischen Gedanken ist es wohl auch nicht mehr weit her…
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Mich auch! Europa ist am Ende 😦 Was die Konsequenzen sind – keine Ahnung, ich glaube das wagt keiner auszusprechen. Die Grenzen sind jetzt dicht, die Flüchtlinge stranden in Griechenland und dort wird es immer voller. Das kann Griechenland nicht bewältigen und somit steht uns eine humanitäre Katastrophe bevor. Was Frau Merkel in Ungarn verhindern wollte findet jetzt in Griechenland statt, mit der Ausnahme dass die Griechen helfen wollen und irgendwann nicht mehr können 😦
Auch wenn es uns hier in D eine Atempause verschafft (hier bei uns kommen bis Mitte März keine neuen Flüchtlinge mehr) graut mir von dem was dort passiert….
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Das ist, als ob man eine Staumauer baut. Man verhindert nicht, dass Wasser nachkommt, man lässt es nur nicht durch. Irgendwo wird sich das Wasser aber immer ansammeln oder sich einen anderen Weg suchen. Es löst sich ja nicht in Luft auf.
Europa wendet die Vogel-Strauß-Politik an. Das sind ganz alte Verhaltensmuster, die früher schon nicht geholfen haben. Von der sog. “Werte-Union” ist nix übrig 😦
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Das ist ein guter Vergleich mit dem Wasser und der Staumauer!!! Irgendwann bricht es durch und dann wird es katastrophal 😦
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Und die Katastrophe soll möglichst bei den anderen passieren.
Manche Länder bzw. ihre politischen Vertreter(innen) kommen mir vor, als seien sie völlig in ihrer egozentrischen Kleinkindphase stecken geblieben. Wenn ich mir die Augen zuhalte, dann sehen mich die anderen nicht und ich bin der Nabel der Welt. Die Welt hat sich weiter entwickelt, aber das Denken ist (noch) nicht mitgekommen.
Man kann heute auch in den entlegensten Winkeln erfahren, dass es nicht nur eine Art gibt, sein Leben zu gestalten. Die Menschen bleiben nicht mehr automatisch da wo sie geboren wurden – sie sehen die Möglichkeiten …
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Ja da hast Du völlig recht. Alle Probleme bitte draußen bleiben 😦 Sollen die ihren Kram doch selbst lösen! Nur das sie das leider nicht können 😦
Ich habe 3 hochmotivierte Afghanen bei uns im Heim. Jugendliche, der eine ist auf dem Berufskolleg, spricht schon perfekt Deutsch und will unbedingt Schreiner werden. Mir bricht das Herz weil ich weiss, die Afghanen werden jetzt zurückgeschickt. Flüchtlinge 2. Klasse…..
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Die werden zurückgeschickt? Das ist doch eigentlich auch unsinnig, wenn man es sich mal richtig überlegt – schließlich ist ja durchaus in die Flüchtlinge investiert worden. Sie haben eine Ausbildung und könnten jetzt aktiv an der Arbeitswelt teilnehmen und zur deutschen Wirtschaft beitragen. Mir will nicht in den Kopf, dass es “billiger” ist, die Leute zurück zu schicken. Mal ganz abgesehen davon, dass sie sich in der Zeit ihres Aufenthalts doch schließlich ein Leben in Deutschland aufgebaut haben… Und mal ehrlich – Afghanistan ist noch lange kein sicherer Ort für junge Männer… Tragisch!
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Auch die, die schon hier sind und gute Aussichten haben werden zurück geschickt?
Ich dachte das gilt für zukünftige Flüchtlinge aus Afghanistan. Schreiner könnten wir doch sooo gut gebrauchen, so wie überhaupt junge und motivierte Leute. Es ist ja nicht so, dass wir gerade eine “Schreiner-Schwemme” hätten.
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Theoretisch müssen jetzt alle wieder gehen wenn ich das richtig verstanden habe. Es sei denn sie kommen aus einem Gebiet in dem aktuell gekämpft wird, dann können sie mit ‘Härtefall’ argumentieren, ob das aber klappt steht in den Sternen. Oder sie sind wegen ihrer Religion, sexuellen Ausrichtung etc. irgendwie besonders verfolgt und gefährdet. Politisches Ziel ist es ja jetzt gerade möglichst viele Menschen wieder zurück zu schicken um bei der deutschen Bevölkerung wieder Zustimmung zu erhalten 😦
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Alles eine einzige Scheiße. Mensch, wenn man die Leute eingliedern würde, ihnen Arbeit gäbe, und sie zu vollständigen Mitgliedern der Gesellschaft machte, dann gäbe es auch weniger Probleme.
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Jep, genau dieser Meinung bin ich auch!!!
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Treffender Vergleich. Das Ganze wird irgendwann explosiv werden. Ich bin jedenfalls enttäuscht – und es auch so leid, ständig die Kritiker der Flüchtlingspolitik davon überzeugen zu müssen, dass wir eine Verpflichtung haben, Menschen zu helfen. Wie war das noch, “was du nicht willst man zu dir tu, das füge keinem anderen zu”, oder so? Warum fällt es vielen so schwer, sich vorzustellen, man könnte selbst einmal Flüchtling sein und auf die Hilfe einer anderen Nation angewiesen sein? Hilfe ist ein Gebot der Menschlichkeit, nicht der wirtschaftlichen Interessen oder politischen Befindlichkeiten.
Aber naja, wem sage ich das…
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Ehrlicherweise muss man zugeben, dass unsere Politik sich ja auch sehr/zu lange zurück gelehnt hat. Das Flüchtlingsproblem war lange das Problem der Länder, die das “Pech” hatten, eine Außengrenze Richtung Afrika oder zum Nahen Osten hin zu haben. Aber die Lage hat sich dramatisch verschlimmert und ich sehe nirgendwo Anzeichen, dass es besser werden könnte. Die Gewalt scheint sich auszubreiten und mit ihr die Angst und das Verlangen nach einfachen Antworten. Wir haben hier schonmal erlebt, wo solche “einfachen Antworten” hinführen können.
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Es ist schon hochexplosiv. Und wie gerade geschrieben, sie werden zurückgeschickt um ein Zeichen in den Medien zu setzen. Die Politik rudert zurück und man will zeigen: seht hier, die kommen zwar, aber wir schicken sie auch wieder zurück. Nur leider sind es meiner Meinung nach die Falschen. Die straffällig gewordenen Nordafrikaner werden wir nicht los, da sie keinen Pass haben, im Flugzeug randalieren oder Marokko etc. sie nicht zurücknimmt. Damit die Statistik aufpoliert werden kann schicken wir die zurück die nicht randalieren 😦 Es ist alles gerade ganz schrecklich SCHXXXX, sorry!
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Ich habe gerade gestern von unserem algerischen Asylbewerber gehört, dass sein Asylantrag endgültig abgelehnt ist. Er hält sich seit Juli 2015 illegal in Großbritannien auf, ist obdachlos, hat keine Unterstützung. Ich kann da nur eines sagen: Jemand, der DAS auf sich nimmt, nur um nicht in sein Heimatland zurück zu müssen, muss ja wohl gute Gründe haben…
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Das heißt wenn die Polizei ihn erwischt fliegt er raus? Oder wird er geduldet? Aber er kann nur illegal arbeiten 😦 Shit situation!
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Der wird verknackt/rausgeschmissen, wenn er entdeckt wird. Saß in Algerien wegen politischer Aktivitäten im Knast. Ist vor vier Jahren im Ruderboot über das Mittelmeer geflohen – klassisch genau wie die, die jetzt alle übers Meer fliehen.
Er hat während der Zeit seines Asylantrags gelegentlich illegal Hilfsjobs gemacht. Aber das ist reine Ausbeutung – mit Hungerlohn und ohne jede Sicherheit. Grauenhaft, das alles!
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Bei uns werden die Algerier auch zurückgeschickt. Nur wenn er politisch verfolgt wird darf er bleiben. Wenn er das irgendwie belegen kann soll er es bei uns versuchen. Habe gerade einen Artikel dazu gefunden:
http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/fluechtlinge-aus-marokko-und-algerien-im-fokus-der-bundesregierung-a-1072599.html
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Das wäre übrigens sein großer Traum. Er liebt ja Deutschland über alles, glaubt, das sei das Paradies und sein Asylantrag würde da innerhalb von 2 Monaten geklärt sein… (Ist natürlich noch nie in D’land gewesen.) Das Problem ist, dass er natürlich ohne Pass nicht aus GB rauskommt. Die Insellage ist fatal für sowas.
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In Calais sitzen sie und wollen auf die andere Seite 😦 Findet sich kein LKW? Die werden in die Richtung ‘raus’ bestimmt nicht kontrolliert. Wo ist der Pass? Bei der Ausländerbehörde?
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Raus aus einem Land bedeutet ja gleichzeitig auch rein in ein anderes… Und Pass – ich glaube, den gibt es nicht.
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Es ist schwer, da nicht ganz mutlos zu werden. “Herzlichaufmunterndguck”
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Sehr erstaunlich, dass sich ein Mann wie dieser von dir ein Blümelein ins Haar stecken lässt. Sicher dürfte sich DAS nich Jede erlauben … 😉
Er versucht es mit Würde zu tragen (und innerlich brodelt es!) 😀
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Guy ist da erstaunlich tolerant. Aber er ist ja auch ein schlaues Kerlchen und weiß, dass er ja meistens auf den ersten Blick recht sexy in den Schreinen wegkommt. Teddybärchen auf seinem Bett entdeckt man erst auf den zweiten Blick. Aber er kann sich gegen mich eh nicht wehren 😉
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Apropos Teddybärchen! Erst vor einigen Tagen habe ich diesen Teddybären-Clip gesehen, in dem er Marian ihren Bären wegnimmt, droht, ihn zu hängen und ihn erst nach Zahlung eines Lösegelds (widerwillig) zurück gibt. So süüüüß – hab herzhaft lachen müssen 😀
Zeigt auch, dass er echt Humor hat und sich für einen guten Zweck für nichts zu schade ist ❤
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Die Charity-Aktion damals war super gemacht – gleichermaßen witzig wie auch im Charakter geblieben. Und ja, schon damals war Richie gleich dabei, als es um einen guten Zweck ging… Och, er ist schon ein Guter ❤
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Dafür kann er aber herrlich böse schauen.
Todernst hat er den armen Bären verschleppt. Man hätte direk Angst kriegen können. Nix für zarte Seelen 😉
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Oh, vielen Dank für diesen Hinweis. Hab ich mir doch auch gleich reingezogen! Man lernt doch niemals aus, was die world of RA angeht! Und sooo echt gemacht, als wär der Teddy nur reinkopiert in irgendeine RH-Folge!
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Lovely RAPS, although it took me a while to discover the black panther…😜
And for RAs political statement: as short as it was, I like and appreciate it, too. I think (and hope) he’s getting braver with age and influence (look at his christmas message…) and doesn’t waste too many thoughts on negative feedback from fans. Bravo, Richard!
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Yes, the panther was hard to make out in the photo 😉
The advantage of getting older – it becomes less important what others think, and easier to stand up for one’s own beliefs. I hope he has copped on that there is no way he can please all.
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Well said, Guylty. And lucky Austoz, having a slinky Guy shrine! How appropriate, a black glitterball 😃 Lovely sneaky panther too 😎 I didn’t know Guy had feathers in his coat of arms… In fact I didn’t even spot that he had one. Must have been distRActed by other bits covered in leather 😉
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Well, no, the coat of arms doesn’t really have feathers (although I remember some of his guards having yellow and black feathers on their helmets). Look, here’s the iconic scene. You can see the coat of arms behind the plot *coughs* https://meandrichard.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/rh203_103.jpg
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Ah yes. How could I possibly have missed the coat of arms 😂😂😂😂😂
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😀 You were looking at the arms, not the coat of…
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There was a coat-of-arm in that scene❓
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*chuckles* I can see you were also one of the plot-watchers… Yes, very prominently displayed in the background 😉
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Thank you for pointing it out. I’d watched that episode more than once and it had escaped my notice every single time. Wow
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Every detail counts, Mimi 😉
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Especially in this case. Don’t know how I could have been so insensitive and unaware. It is like I watched but didn’t see anything but the man himself. I am so rude! 😈
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I am sure that Sir Guy would approve, though…
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How can everything but Guy escape your notice? Because you only have eyes for him when he is on screen. Happens to the best of us. No blame/ no shame. 🙂
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You know me too well Kathy❗️⭕️❌⭕️😚
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I repeat: Too much watching for the plot :-D. You are excused, though 😉
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apropos Black Panther — another political reference. There’s a big hullaballoo going in the US right now about Beyoncé’s SuperBowl performance, the fact that she and her dancers wore costumes that mimicked Black Panther costumes while singing a very political song, and now a bunch of police unions have called their members to boycott paid participation in her concert security due to that and her financial support of black citizens jailed in the Baltimore riots. Sigh.
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Another excellent RA Pocket Shrine, S! I can almost hear him growl. 😉
As for the politics and the walls that divide people, if Trump has his way over here, the USA will soon be surrounded by a “huge” wall in order to “protect us” from our Mexican neighbors who – of course – according to him are all criminals.
[You may want to read this article written by one of your German compatriots. The words that come out of that horrible man (Trump) never cease to astound me!
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/donald-trump-is-the-most-dangerous-man-in-the-world-a-1075060.html#spRedirectedFrom=www&referrrer=http://m.facebook.com%5D
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Thank you Guylty, I love my perrrrfect panther RAPS. xx
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I love the tiger on this one–makes me think of “AM A TIGER”! Also liked the pristine silver and white, contrasted with the Black Leather of the interior… very sexy.
Hope the election goes well. Speaking of political activity by celebrities, I see that Liam Neeson has made an ad supporting repeal of the 8th! So glad he’s willing to speak out for women. http://www.irishcentral.com/news/politics/Liam-Neeson-narrates-haunting-Repeal-the-Eighth-ad-on-abortion-VIDEO.html
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BTW – “Am A Tiger” continues to delight everyone I am showing it to! Showed my friends in Berlin last weekend, and they were in stitches! As am I, every time I look at it. It’s always in my bag!
That was a fabulous video for the abortion legislation campaign, visually stunning, and really nicely narrated by Neeson. Like you, I am pleased to see he is supporting women’s rights. It’s a scandal that Ireland is still in the middle ages when it comes to their right to decide over their bodies.
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: )
It is the residue of history, but the times they are a-changin’.
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That is really cool, I tried posting it to Tumblr, but it didn’t work. Have to try from laptop later.
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🙂 thanks xx
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Weird, I was able to post it to Google and FB, but not Tumblr – ugh, I am do inept at this social media thingy 💻
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Well, initially i wasn’t going to go into current debates, because that’s all what we’ve been talking about at work with friends and once again political cr** affects me directly where i least expect it. Once more i come to same conclusion: i believe in democracy but very little in politics and/or politicians and parties. And i’ll stick to deeds over words, especially when words are only used to instigate, blur and use people’s emotional reactions and shortcut their brains and good sense.
But i do believe in values, good causes, ideas, ideals and i actually think civil society has a much bigger role to play than politicians. In that respect actors, public figures with less economic and other monetary or political interest at heart can and need to make a difference, as their voice can be heard as loud as politicians if not more sometimes. I’m all for support for good causes, especially active support, ie do, don’t just say.
The whole Trump thing is scary, as is the general ‘bordering up’ and anti-immigration feeling growing around Europe. Never mind the hypocrisy it stinks of, it’s plain scary to see how in this day and age, after just recent history how many people can easily be persuaded by scaremongering and the like. I can’t believe such views can win out, but it is scary how readily that many people will support them 😦 Before elections around here i would have said nutters like that with absurd views shouldn’t even be paid any attention to, but reality sadly proves different, there are enough lending their ear so that we probably can’t afford to ignore such extremism and we have a duty to bring counter-arguments and prove why their ideas and proposals are wrong and dangerous.
I’m glad he speaks up, he’s got every right to and his voice can make a difference. I guess it makes sense expressing his views about American issues.. though i guess one could debate if Trump’s views are just an American issue. The ‘walls’ are certainly just as much a European issue at the moment, sadly we seem to go back in history 😦 Personally, i was surprised he didn’t have something to say about more European issues given he is around here now and clearly amongst the issues. But fair enough, he doesn’t live here anymore and never has expressed much of an opinion about hot topics here.
I’ve debated if to write this and have sort of left it half written for 2 days but it is my opinion so there it is. I guess we’ve come to discuss it so i am not adding any gas on any fire or starting a debate where it didn’t exist.
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I love the shrine, how could i not 🙂 that is a lovely interpretation of his coat of arms 🙂 And love the panther and flowers, both so fitting! 🙂 Lucky austoz, pretty sure she will love it 🙂
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I’m glad you added your POV, Hari. I know, politics (or voicing political opinions) is not to everyone’s liking, but I hope this blog can function as a platform for respectful and non-personal debate, if needed. As it is, I agree with your sentiments, anyway.
As for RA commenting on European issues – sure, that would be a bit more interesting to me as a European; and boy, was I chuffed when he commented on the Irish marriage equality referendum last year. But then again – the majority of his fans might not have a clue what he is talking about, so I understand that he chose a more high-profile issue to express his opinion on. And strictly speaking, he *has* already commented on the big European issue a couple of times, albeit not as clearly. His (deleted) picture of the “refugees welcome” graffiti and the caption “I ❤ 🇩🇪" are an expression of opinion. It appears he is mainly interested in humanitarian issues. Those may also be less controversial to comment on publicly (while appearing as a thinking, political mind). Good on him, though. It is hard to stand up for beliefs publicly – and more so when one is in the public eye. In that sense I also admire Michelle Forbes – whose militant veganism slightly grates with me, and yet kudos to her for using her voice to speak out about something she obviously cares for.
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The humanitarian approach sits more comfortably with me as well… for me personally just based on my experience there is little to be gained from direct association with any political party. And it is sort of limiting in its own way, whereas a cause as this can cross borders and build bridges and help those in need maybe in ways that are beyond and above politics, or so i hope 🙂
It is tough times anyway, it’s near impossible to stay away from debates as daily life is being changed in significant ways if we look away.
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Well, you have very specific experiences with party politics that cannot in all honesty be called democratic, I suppose. I think affiliation/association with a party is not limiting – your conscience is still your own. Well, depends on the party, of course… But yeah, wider, global issues are easier, especially if they have humanitarian appeal.
I wonder whether we are actually on the cusp of change. Things are getting more extreme these days – which might push people into exploring more radical politics.
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Yes, i was not talking just about ‘so called communism’, you got into it in democracy as well. One could hardly even call what went on in ‘communism’ politics, more like country wide mafia. But parties after (i saw it from the inside so i’m talking from hands on experience).. it’s that what ultimately and definitely put me off any politics and current goings on where i am now are just strengthening my conviction about hypocrisy, economic interest and so on. I wouldn’t touch a political party with a mile long pole. Though i do vote and believe in it. I just don’t trust politicians. Or they have to do a lot to convince me of their intentions.
The same thing you mention is what worries me, because whenever there are economic troubles the answer seems to always be the same: isolationism, nationalism, extremism. We never seem to learn and how easily people are inflamed in societies where we are supposed to be educated, rational, tolerant is scary.
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I think he was pretty clear about how he felt about the European situation in his Christmas message, no?
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he did, certainly, it’s just a matter of timing i guess, what’s going on round here this week – Britain in particular – is quite serious, i was surprised this week in particular that he suddenly chose to react to Trump rather than other issues, but as i said, fair enough it’s his home now.
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Brexit, you mean? I guess I’m extrapolating, but if he’s anti-wall, he’s probably pro-EU. That said, that is an extremely divisive issue in its target audience, I suspect in a different way than the migration question is. The other thing is that the Trump issue was extremely acute over here this week. So from my perspective, it wasn’t a sudden reaction to Trump. There were two primaries, a town hall, and a debate in the last week or so, and it looks like Trump will be the GOP candidate. If he is following US news, this was a good time to comment. Super Tuesday is in three days.
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It’s what i mean (though it is not just about a future decision, things have moved significantly in the past week in terms of current situation), i was just observing preoccupation with one subject over another. It’s normal that some things get closer to the bone at certain instances than others.
You really think he could become the GOP candidate? shaking head…. One could argue at least here a certain faction didn’t make it to Parliament… but we are certainly not better off with the ones who did.
It boggles the mind what is going on on both sides of the Atlantic and it is very scary. And this is from somebody who grew up behind the iron curtain and who thought she’d seen the worst of paranoia and political hypocrisy and abuse …
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I think it’s extremely likely that he will be the GOP candidate now. He’s forecast to win 11 of 12 of the Super Tuesday states (Cruz is favorited in Texas), and the Republican elite is now jumping on board with endorsements. The GOP has decided that they’d prefer to win the election; if they brokered another candidate into the race, Trump would run third party and Hilary would win. That’s my view anyway.
re: Brexit, it’s possibly he might say something as the referendum approaches, but I’m guessing not, mostly because it’s the equivalent of or at least very similar to endorsing a political party, which is a little different than expressing a general policy opinion.
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Has he actually ever commented on GB politics? I am still mildly amused by the fact that he is following the Labour Party as well as the Milliband bros and David Cameron…
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Not recently, anyway.
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that is horrible.. i mean the GOP… the mere fact that rational people can even consider supporting somebody expressing the views that he is expressing… that is what i find frightening. Do you think the voting system could ultimately work in his favour?
And being part of the EU is not a political party option, just like the EU itself is not one, it’s a fundamental way of living in Europe and interacting across countries and borders (or no borders)… but that is the bigger issue around Europe, that what was supposed to be a way of life has turned in on itself due to strong isolationist tendencies going on, this is only a symptom, it is inextricably linked to the migration issue, it’s just a hidden way of acting against the same.
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The general question of being pro-EU may not inherently be a party opinion, but it seems pretty well associated with the positions of various leaders of UK parties. If you say you’re for leaving, you’re more or less standing with particular politicians. That’s less true of the immigration issue in the US (in my perception); most politicians here apart from Trump and Cruz have not expressed coherent opinions about the matter.
Trump loses in California and New York. Whoever the GOP runs, wins in Texas. I think the Democrat probably wins in Illinois and Pennsylvania, but only if it’s Clinton. The winner also wants to take Ohio, Florida and Virginia. Florida somewhat surprisingly went for Obama last time around, but I think would potentially go from Trump this time around. It’s hard to predict because we’ve never had a candidate like Trump before; a lot of general rules about electoral behavior have been broken this season. A lot also hinges on whether there is a third party candidate, which there will almost certainly be if the Democrats run Sanders. In essence, I think the electoral college favors the Democrat *if* the Democrat is a moderate … but who knows.
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it’s a lot of unknowns… and i get why the tension, i dismissed him myself too thinking this can’t last it’s so ridiculous but reality comes back biting 😦 It’s possible many made the same mistake and now it’s hard to come up with a plan to beat him. I think she’s strong but who knows what is needed to beat him hands down and who that somebody is?
I never thought he’d have a chance… a mistake.
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I think it comes down to the problem that Sanders labeled himself a “socialist” in order to appeal in the primaries, but that would kill him in the general election. Assuming past rules apply, swing voters tend to decide the election and he’s not a possibility for a swing voter (“tax the rich” is not popular in the US and the GOP has successfully tarred him with the label of “class warfare”). Moderate GOP voters may go with her to avoid Trump, if they are more sensible than their party leadership — but it’s all up in the air at the moment. If Sanders is the Democratic candidate there will almost certainly be a third party candidate (Bloomberg), and that will tend to make Trump the winner, I fear … uch.
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Yes, it is clear, again similar experience here, if the opposition whether internal in his own party or external gets divided he is the only one winning from that situation. It would be really important to have a single person be able to stand up against him… And yes i could see how playing a ‘socialist’ card would end up going down like a rock :-S Divide and conquer… uufff in thousands of years politics has not changed all that much. And yes that kind of scenario would affect us all, he’s not just bad for the US, he’s absolutely the worst for international environment as well… an even scarier thought.
What’s it like with the media? are there enough high exposure outlets for more sensible people to present arguments and appeal to the general public? Because externally appallingly enough he obviously hogs all the attention on account of his outrageousness…
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The consensus at the moment is that the media are a big piece of the problem, because they amplify him for free because he’s constant clickbait. It’s a bit more complex than that, insofar as segments of the conservative media and the US have been fanning the flames of the fire on the issues that he talks about the most for about two decades, but one of the things that people have observed is that formerly influential outlets on the conservative side (e.g., National Review, a big opinionmaker) are getting no traction in their opposition to him. It seems from initial observation that significant segments of the people who have voted / caucused for him so far are first-time voters and that the whole moderate wing of the GOP is staying away from the primaries because there are really no options for them (when John Kasich looks moderate, we are really in trouble), e.g., there’s no one remotely like Mitt Romney or John Huntsman this time around. This may mirror the race in that the GOP moderates may stay home from the general election, too. That is what is anticipated to happen should either Cruz or Rubio run against Hilary (Hilary wins in a very low turn-out election). But Trump is such a wildcard; so many rules that have applied in the past seem to be out of operation at the moment.
We should probably quit this. I’ve actually tried to keep this discussion mostly out of my own blog because I spend so much time on it IRL …
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Sorry for dragging you in it here, but thanks for taking the time to explain the details, outside media is only limited and it is good to try and understand some of the reasons behind what is happening and what might happen.
I think in situations such as this the only way to go is try and drag all voters to the poll and hope for the rational majority, it is sad though when people are forced to vote against the worst rather than for something they can choose… but sometimes it has to be done. Happy to pick this up again at my place if you feel like it at some stage 🙂 I’m likely to drop some thoughts in the near future about what is going on with my own struggles as i make my decision on things like citizenship etc. 🙂 Crossing fingers for you guys though! x
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re: Iron Curtain — fwiw, my read of it: as long as there was a bipolar world there had to be some attempt to make nice to prove that one was better than the other side. Competition with the claims of the other side meant that one had to respond to those claims. Certainly, hypocrisy was present (not just behind the Iron Curtain), but some of those attempts to compete really bore fruit. After 1991 or so, when there was no competition, there was also no political alternative left. No threat from the Iron Curtain meant also no threat from its occasionally potent ethical claims. Every politician can just let every horrid impulse hang out now because what is the alternative? And this is particularly true *within* the GOP where the moderate opposition has disappeared (it’s not like Cruz or Rubio are really great choices for a moderate Republican, either).
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yes, and the scary thing is that because viable alternatives of ways of doing things, including international politics, are so much harder to come by and create it is so much easier for such people to come up with new threats.. and the world is a bad enough place to provide plenty of threats, possible or imaginary, immediate or not. It’s what disappoints me about politics in general, that people are so easily passionate and engaged by threats and scares and defenses than by solutions, plans, long term goals… You talk about threats and dangers and 1000 will listen, you talk about solutions and you barely get a few 😦
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And you are right about the lack of decent alternative candidates of the similar political orientation of opposed.As you say, if there was a stronger Republican candidate….
We faced the exact same problem here in the last elections, these chaps didn’t win because they were most wanted, it was because the others were so tosh 😦 a bad place to be in…
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There could be any number of reasons, I suppose – maybe Trump is more present in the discussions with his colleagues than other issues, based on the fact that there are many Americans in the cast?
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and it is less usual in the UK to get involved in political debates directly, public figures tend to pick humanitarian causes, very few get close to political parties, for good reason 🙂 We’ll see what happens, i have to say until now i just relied on the course of democracy myself and never felt the need to take active interest. But when the government cuts benefits for the poor or you are told yes we’ll have your tax money, but if something happens and you can’t work you are not entitled to benefits, essentially get out… things change. There are more effective walls than barbed wired and they have just been put in place right now, it’s not a debate 😦 It’s reality. Of the sort that i never imaged was possible to see…
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sorry Guylty for hijacking the lovely shrine post! i hope people don’t mind too much, i my/our defense i can only say that the stuff that is going on can really change all our lives so it is sort of on our minds and the lovely RA only prompted thoughts that were already there, in a good way i might add 🙂
it may sound soppy, but if only more people could experience the sort of bridges and long distance hugs and friendships like you create with the shrines and RA has created through shared fandom… we probably would have much less to worry about on the other reality front…
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