Meera of Tarth

Possibly, but it's never too late for that IMO. Another thing, is that the situation makes it viable or not, of course. It's so difficult. Yes, of course it means many things, but it's something they agree with, even with their differences, and something that shares a social consensus in the Catalan society, since a long long time ago. And it's sure not meaningless too many people, since the conflict started in part because the word Nation appeared as an statement in the Preface of the New Statute IIRC (saying agreed in the Catalan Parliament with vast majority as how people feels or something along these lines), though not even made official in the Statute, but eventhough it was completely dismantled. For many people it is important. Yep, There are many possible solutions, the only way is talking and accepting that problems have to be resolved this way, not in the courts. The other thing is if they'll or if they are willing to do so.... Yes, PP and PSOE don't want to take out the 155 and The potential MP of Culture (on Exile) has written a letter to the European Union.

Certainly, Ciudadanos want to "dismantle" it little by little, it's to them who I was referring more to in my last post. The dismantlement is implied as the more they'd get, the more they'd want. There would be more regression on Catalonia's autonomy. PP (especially some sectors) would just prefer more centralisation, others a complete centralised Government from Madrid, others the status quo. Although let's take the example of education recently. They wanted to dismantle the Catalan immersion system (that has been proved as a great success and as a way of social cohesion) and they said it would be very complicated in legal terms (the only reason why they finally didn't do it). But PP actually wanted to do that one or two months ago. They didn't care about what Catalan society preferred as a whole. The bolded: and here lies the problem: due to that they prefer more control+centralisation, it's completely unthinkable they can reach an agreement even if the other part wanted. (And in very very rare occasions -but real ones-even Puigdemont has actuallly asked for dialogue in general, not only in terms of independence, in his words the last months). I don't think they are misleading. See this post of mine in this same thread. Bottom line. More than ten years ago the Catalan Parliament agreed on something in spite of the differences. The fact that in their electoral programs the word Nation appears is something that still happens today. But of course, I see what your point is The rest is very different. We discussed this earlier in this thread. Yes, I'd say not only pressures, but also personal preferences... I'm not sure if all this can be solved.

Well, I'd say that the ones who really want to deescalate it are the Catalan Socialists (especially) and also En Comú-Podem, from the unionist side. At least, having listened to the general tones of their speeches (one can also argue if that is related to gaining votes though). PP and Ciudadanos don't want to de-escalate it, they just one to take advantage from the situation (especially Ciudadanos, with PP is more a matter of showing they still have the control over Catalonia and Spain) and this means taking advantage of both gaining votes and actually dismantling the status of Catalonia as it is today; making it less autonomous, and more like a region with less of that "nationality" status that the Constitution states. You said it below,that Ciudadanos want to steal the anti-catalan thunder from PP. This can't be about deescalating, especially considering that nearly half of the population wants or thinks that wants an independent State, and 70% of the votes from December were to parties than want Catalonia to be recognized as a Nation, or having a little bit more of autonomy (whilst other total independence from this group). This 70% or around in favour of more recognisition is the same that people had voted more than years ago in a legal referendum, and as the Spanish Parliament voted favourably as well... . The best example of this is the reunion between Ciudadanos and Rajoy, in which Ribera said that he'd like to extend the 155 to the Public Catalan TV and radio, and of course it to be continued with the Catalan Police, Finances, External Politics, etc. And let's not talk about Citizen's view on the indoctrination in the Catalan schools... Yeah, I agree with that. He has been forced to moderate a little bit his position, but it's clear what they like or they don't. But they were pushed by the Government to make a resolution before that Monday. In normal circumstances, they could not have technically answered so quickly. That was really messy and....problematic. And having overzealous judges it's also a great problem, I'd say. I don't want to generalise, but these days we only get news of what type of judges have become judges in this country (in this case for an even worse subject). Again, maybe they are just a minority....but still. Even if just some, it's somewhat problematic.

I am not fan of Torra either, since he is talking about implementing a Republic that has not been voted in normal conditions so as it to be implemented (legal referendum and telling people both the positive and negative things of that sceneario).. But I don't agree on Rajoy wanting to deescalate the situation. I don't think he has ever wanted in fact. The whole thing started more than ten years ago and his party and him had a lot to do with that and on what the current situation is now. Now it's just a clash of trains, who is the one that will resist, and just criticising the others emphasizing things that should not be as much emphasized (a lost of perspective....from both sides). Regardless if people like Puigdemont or Comín or not, I think the lines were crossed in terms of the Constitutional Court when they quickly decided at that weekend that Puigdemont could not cross the bordier. In fact, the whole thing of the prisoners is quite sensitive to me and Spain doesn't want to deescalate it at all, which is a pitty. I'm clueless of what will happen. At this point of the story is everything so messed up? So from the one hand there is Citizens wanting to mantain or extending the 155 instead of stopping it, wanting to talk with Rajoy about that issue....while at the same time CUP says they don't like today's offer for dialogue from Torra and Puigdemont to Rajoy.....

Till season 6? Wow I didn't know! I also found the finale a little bit rushed, especially in regards to Geillis' plot. But I have not read the novels to compare. I liked his portrayal. Great character! I agree with that as well. Although I think that it's not only them, I also "loved" the two characters played by Tobias Menzies, what an amazing actor he is. And Sam Heughan is amazing.....but Caitriona Balfe certainly deserves some kind of award the sooner the better!

Yes, @Buckwheat same thoughts here. There were better songs, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Albania, Austria, Lithuania, Portugal, Estonia..... but not this one. And I think the lyrics are awful. They say it's about women empowerment, to do whatever you want to be (like wearing bright colours even if you are overweight, etc, that's what she said), but I completely failed to see this with that song in particular. What happened last year with Portugal was something very unusual I guess. I had a nice time in the chat with you all, though

You are right he doesn't exactly die in the article, but kind of.....he is no longer Bran anymore. He loses his humanity and becomes a weird human being/god/creature, which is like a point of no return, a death. Ascending to godhod/his mind ascending to the astral plane...it's a mental death of Bran as who he is. Even worse than the (awful) current situation in the show (which I'd like them to reverse as a twist), although better executed. Bran will thus sentence 500,000 people to death (a million on the show), and in doing so exercise the moral authority of a god Bran will telepathically connect to and become every single one of the over 500,000 people that he is sentencing to death. He will know who each of them are, he will have the courage to experience their fear, and he will hear each of their final thoughts. Though he will be hundreds of miles away, Brandon Stark as the Winged Wolf will know each life and death individually and simultaneously. In essence Bran will create a momentary collective consciousness of every person in King’s Landing. A song of ice and fire. In a mythological sense, this will parallel the bound warg Fenrir devouring the sun during Ragnarok. Though the show has Bran cease to be himself anymore when he becomes the Three Eyed Raven, in the books I propose this will be in this moment that Bran truly becomes a god. Also that it will serve as the ultimate realization of the lesson Bran learns in his first chapter about the responsibility of taking a life, and it will finalize his ascent into godhood As we have seen in the show, the cost of Bran taking in all of that collective memory is the loss of himself and his individuality. Meera was right. Though he did not physically die when he became the Three Eyed Raven, the boy he had been indeed died in the cave. Bran ceased to be himself when he was overwhelmed by the godhood and became one with the Three Eyed Raven in the books he will never be the same after this moment (in the show Bran has already reached this point of no return). Like Frodo was too deeply hurt to return to the Shire after carrying the Ring to Mount Doom, Bran will be too deeply hurt, his soul too overcome by the pain of the lives he has taken to return to himself or his boyhood. For the rest of the story and the rest of his life he will be an otherworldly entity akin to the Ghost of High Heart or Patchface From here the certain doom of Westeros will have been averted, Bran’s mind will fully disperse and ascend to the astral plane. Then will commence the final act of actually putting an end to the Long Night. A mission in which Bran will act as the ghost in the machine. The force guiding our heroes to the resolution.

Ok, this is not positive. I'd not like to see another 6x8 2.0 ALthough maybe they are gonna shot multiple scenes from different moments next week and not just one scene? Who knows. The mere fact that the Waif and Jacquen could appear in KL it's also weird.

Tomorrow they'll elect the President of Catalonia, Quim Torra, appointed by Puigdemont; since there is no other alternative. Meanwhile, Judge Llarena will try to make luck with the "secession" charge instead of "rebellion" so as that Puigdemont could be extradited to Spain and go to prison.

Yes, they are filming next week as well in Seville (till Saturday), so I think that both Nik and Emilia can return.

the song is not bad but i agree with you. oh, tonight i will only be able to watch the second part...

well....much better-thought that the NK theory, but still a little bit underwhelming. Why would Bran want to experience the death of those lives? Because his father told him so? His father told him to pass the sentence......on those who are guilty of something. Have we seen him being so desperated to do that? Is it sure that there is no other choice? That takes for granted that The Ohters are still there.....arriving at KL as well. Ok, I could buy that part. But....Why would he want to die? Does he know that by becoming a god will help the rest defeat The Others? Maybe he just doesn't know what's gonna happen IF he dies in that pre-sacrifice. How can he know that he will become a god?. And frankly, he could be the force and lead them without having to become a God. In fact, he is developing these techniques in the book.How would the rest of the good ones defeat the Others, though even if the army is not of 500000? No ideas on that? There are some visions that have not been taken into consideration by the writer of the essay as well, ones that take place very quickly in a forest. It's not only the dragon one. Anyway, not a bad take at all. But there are inconsistencies.

Ok, As promised....this is the translation of the Spanish song..... I think there is an error on the official Online translation and I fixed it.... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Purple: Amaia Red: Alfred YOUR SONG I would have never imagined that travelling to the Moon could be something real You turn everything upside down when you kiss my forehead and I discover why I can no longer Invent it I feel like I’m dancing for the first time You’re the art that sweetens the skin From my traveller mind, that is still at your feet... I feel like I’m dancing for the first time by your side, oh I know that in you...I can find that voice that warms me when the weather’s bad Everything’s perfect if you’re by my side creating a new city I feel like I’m dancing for the first time You’re the art that sweetens the skin From my traveller mind, that is still at your feet... I feel like I’m dancing for the first time by your side, oh I can no longer Invent it I just want Your song, oh, oh, oh I feel like I’m dancing for the first time You’re the art that sweetens the skin From my traveller mind, that is still at your feet... I feel like I’m dancing for the first time by your side, oh

I liked it a lot till I learnt the meaning of the lyrics...(some parts are just too exaggerated) Greek sounds so pleasant to the ears....though

They are cheesy But I particularly like the second one........"My traveller mind..." and how he points to his head.... I don't know what my tolerance to cheesiness is.....when Eurovision arrives I'm more tolerant to anything though, and also for the eccentric songs....too bad this year I have not seen anyone dressed up as ....whatever crazy!!! And I also like the serious ones! And the funny ones...Last year I wanted ITALY to win so hard! But Portugal was just...perfect. I have to translate the song! Probably tomorrow! Oh well, I actually find the Irish song really cool (and let's face it, it's cheesy! but his voice is amazing) , I hope they go to the finale, and don't repeat what happened last year (I loved the rehearsal of Ireland!!!!!) This is my favourite song from Ireland of all times: Anyway......I root more for the Vikings' one I think