#1 800 disaster twins

[tmntrpblogcomp]

Round 2 Part 2 Matchups

@bettertwin1 vs @mer-turtlez

@tutlr-bluebelle-2k12 vs @tutlr-midnight-futureleo & @ask-space-heroes-nerd

@ask-the-face-man vs @the-leader-in-blue & @1-800-disaster-twins

@thenameisneonleon vs @leangreenninjateen

Polls will go up Sunday, July 2nd, 2pm EST.

[diabolus1exmachina]

BMW M1 Turbo (the extraordinary case of the BMW M1 with 1000 hp)

Ignore the livery. Or don’t ignore it. Like with every other Jägermeister racing car, it might be hard to actually walk past this orange beast without giving the standout paint job at least one glance. It was designed to attract attention, just how Günter Mast — the man that gave his OK to race cars with the famous stag on the bonnet — intended. The truth of the matter is, however, that this particular car’s convoluted history is as complicated as the story of the BMW M1 itself. Therefore this car is not what it seems to be, as the orange Jägermeister livery stems from the imagination of the man that rebuilt the car, the legendary M1 whisperer Fritz Wagner. And if you ask anyone at Jägermeister headquarters about the car, they will potentially reply with a polite letter from their legal department. To paraphrase Samuel Beckett: there’s nothing funnier than tragedy. And so, the story of the BMW M1 could be perceived as one of the automotive world’s funniest. The car was originally designed with the ambition to create the greatest, mid-engined racing car of all time. One that would beat Porsche’s dominating 935 in the all-important Group 5. A masterpiece made of speed and German reliability which, in reality, became a car that had to be reverse engineered to be sold for the road. All because of changes in racing rules and homologation, which stipulated how many cars had to be produced before a particular model was allowed to hit the track. The production number of 400 cars — which seems so minuscule by today’s standards — turned out to be the first problem on a long list of unfolding disasters.

In essence, the life of this beautiful, light, well-made machine that had been designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, who reworked Paul Bracq’s original prototype, was plagued by bad luck and bad decisions. The fact that Lamborghini — who were supposed to produce it at their factory — went bust because of copyright fraud and embezzlement of funds didn’t help. However, it was the rushed solution to disperse production all over Europe that was the final nail in the coffin. Marchese built the car's tube frame, TIR molded the fiberglass, Italdesign mated the two and installed the interior, then the M1 was shipped from Italy to Stuttgart, where Baur would in­stall the BMW hardware, after which in Munich BMW Motor­sports would do the final touches and quality control. It made the M1 almost a quarter more expensive than any equivalent Ferrari or Lambo sold at the time. Case closed.

British generals in the second world war would often joke that Germans were not very good when it came to Plan B. This might be true. In the end, even if BMW’s head of Motorsport Jochen Neerpasch, the brilliant man that he is, thought of a way to market the M1 with the Procar series, in which F1 drivers like Niki Lauda, Clay Regazzoni, and Nelson Piquet would race the cars against privateers, as a prelude to the weekend's Formula 1 race, too few examples were made for the car to ever officially leave Group 4 as was originally intended. Later on, those teams who managed to finally race in Group 5, years after BMW abandoned the programme in order to enter to F1, found the M1 simply uncompetitive. Even the twin-turbocharged models built by Schnitzer, which developed 800 hp and more from their straight six engines, were plagued by problems. his finally brings us to this particular, rather unusual example. It was allegedly built for the famous Walter Brun racing team, who later on won the Group C World Championship with a Jägermeister-liveried Porsche 956. Brun’s friendship with Paul Rosche, the man who turbocharged the BMW 2002, gave rise to the idea of installing the M88 turbo engine originally planned for the March Group-5 car into a modified M1 Procar chassis wrapped into Group 5 bodywork. However, the car was never raced. Why? Even at BMW no one knows. Particularly good news considering that back in the day, when this 1090 kg machine was put on a dyno, it put out 1000 hp and 930 NM of Torque. A reading obtained just before the machine broke while the car apparently still wanted to keep going. Now in the hands of a new owner who intends to race it regularly, it will have plenty of opportunity to shine. And so a new chapter unfolds…

[theaprilfools]

convinced the twins to watch the world cup and root for brasil with me >:P

we're def gonna win trust me @1-800-disaster-twins

[ideas-of-immortality]

More campaigning for the @1-800-disaster-twins to win the @tmntrpblogcomp

This time Donnie :P

[thepeachyprotector]

Sure has been awhile huh? Long story short: situation has been resolved and my family has doubled! (@1-800-disaster-twins @mikey-will-bite-you @theaprilfools @raphaelsredheart <3!!!) We got distracted with the whole "wow alternate realities exist" thing so sorry for disappearing off the face of the earth :P

Back to regularly scheduled blog shenanigans, send in the asks!!

[mikey-will-bite-you]

Decided i should do an intro post to pin so here it is!

Hi im mikey!! :DD my pronouns are he/him but im fine with any! Im queer, ace, and otherwise unlabeled! Im 15 so dont be weird. My fams blogs are:

@theaprilfools (april)

@1-800-disaster-twins (leo and don)

@raphaelsredheart (raph)

@thepeachyprotector (cathy)

//This is a mikey ask blog but i am mikey fictionkin, i am actually mikey, so how i act here is just how i am and not supper accurate to show mikey. My main blog is @crazy-emo-on-the-loose if youd like to check it out, but i dont post much there (spam liking is perfectly fine on both blogs if youre wondering)

Tcest/proship/other creeps dni!! <33

[mishavacado]

SPN has so much spinoff potential and so much canon to work with, it's such a waste that none of it's getting used. This post is just all of my spinoff ideas, I'll apologize in advance because it is VERY long.

Wayward Sisters, obviously. There are so many possible storylines to work with, so many stories to tell. I'd really love to see some Charlie, Eileen, or Krissy Chambers cameos. I think that Charlie and Claire would get along really well (just read this post). Rowena is another character that I think could easily be worked into the canon. She could teach the girls all kinds of magic and be the fun wine aunt that spoils the girls on their birthdays. I don't think that Claire would like her very much, but, Rowena and Alex would probably get along just fine. How much I need this in my life: 1000000000000000000000000/10 when I heard that this idea had been tossed out I was so angry. Why doesn't this exist?

Men of Letters prequel that's mostly set in the bunker. This show could really expand on the canon lore and give us some more background on the Men of Letters, as well as any other similar/rival organizations that were around before the main show's time. The Men of Letters have so much story potential for a spin-off; corrupt leadership, new monsters, other organizations, expanding the MoL to outside the U.S. Episodes could be in a monster-of-the-week (MOTW) format, starting and ending with the Man of Letters the case is assigned to making notes in his journal or case file or talking about the case, as well as the overall season arcs. Episodes would be titled by their case number, i.e S1 E1 Case No. 1925-4, etc How much I need this in my life: 1000000/10, the supernatural/historical drama combo would be absolutely stunning.

A series focusing on all of the alternate timelines and universes, both the ones mentioned in the main show and ones just randomly created for an episode. There are infinite possibilities. Each episode would be in a MOTW format, but with different versions of Sam and Dean. The HunterCorp universe, Jared and Jensen from the French Mistake, a universe where their names are switched, a universe where Dean went to college and was the one with the demon blood powers, a universe where they drive a Mustang instead of the Impala, a universe where Sam isn't scared of clowns. I could go on, but I'm going to stop myself here. How much I need this in my life: 9/10 I think it would be pretty funny, but it's not my best idea.

A Bobby and Rufus spin-off where they talk about cases they worked on together or with other hunters, but the stories are told similarly to Tall Tales. It's the same story but told from different points of view depending on who's talking. I wish we'd gotten to see more of Bobby and Rufus because I think those two are hilarious and really think that this could be funny, even if it was just a web series with twenty-minute episodes. How much I need this in my life: 10/10, I love Bobby and Rufus and I think that they have a lot of interesting hunting stories to tell.

GHOSTFACERS GHOSTFACERS GHOSTFACERS. How much I need this in my life: 100000000000000000000000/10, I love the Ghostfacers. That's my whole idea.

A Jack-centric show that's almost a political drama. Jack is the ruler of heaven and is constantly being manipulated by angels, demons, and Death herself. He just wants to make an afterlife paradise, but power-hungry angels won't leave him alone. Remember that Jack is very young and trusting by nature, so there is a lot of potential for disaster if he gets goaded into doing something, like making new universes or ending existing ones. Cas is a main character and he does his best to protect Jack, but he has to be careful to not seem overprotective/like another manipulator or Jack won't trust him either. I have no idea if I'm making any sense, but shoutout to me if I am. For some reason, I've always thought that heaven would be an interesting setting for a spin-off, and those angels are pretty similar to power-hungry politicians. How much I need this in my life: 800/10, I would totally watch this.

A very short series that just destroys the canon finale. Twelve episodes, detailing the storylines that were ignored or destroyed by Carry On. E1: Rescuing Cas from the Empty and he and Dean have a long talk about their ~feelings~. They kiss, and for the first time, Dean’s mind is free of doubt about whether or not anyone could ever love all of him. E2: Eileen returns. She says nothing when she sees Dean and Cas holding hands, just raises her eyebrow and smiles knowingly. Some excellent movie night content. E3: 1 year later. Sam and Eileen’s wedding. Dean and Cas aren’t legally married, but their matching gold rings are very prominently shown. It isn’t mentioned. The wedding is almost canceled because of the rain, but with a wave of Jack’s hand the clouds disappear and the birds start to sing. E4: Sam and Eileen have moved out of the Bunker. Cas finally convinces Dean to downsize, so they find a little house in Lawrence and settle down. Cas works as a special ed teacher. Dean works as a mechanic. Miracle loves the backyard but makes sure to stay away from the beehives in the back corner. E5: Sam and Eileen’s twins, Mary and Maura, are born. Dean and Cas love their nieces, and Jack loves them too. He doesn’t know what to call himself, so they settle on Uncle and call it good. E6: Deaths. They all die old. Cas’s vessel has aged, but he can’t die, so when Dean finally passes away in his sleep, Cas scatters his ashes in the woods and disappears, ascending to heaven, to spend eternity with Dean. The closing scene is a dark screen, with the whoosh of wings and a soft “Hello, Dean.” OK. That was a long one. My apologies. How much I need this in my life: 100000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000/10. I would reach nerdvana thirty seconds into episode one.

Another spinoff of that idea is just...Dean and Cas living a normal life. Short episodes. Cas goes to the grocery store. Dean drags Cas to a horror movie fan convention. Cas meets a roomba. How much I need this in my life: I can’t type enough zeroes to express it.

Campbell prequel that focuses on Mary and her childhood. Mary being raised as a hunter but not being allowed on hunts. Mary rushing home to finish her chemistry homework so she can help her dad track a nest of vampires moving east. Mary missing her prom to help Samuel on a hunt. Mary trying to keep her real life secret from John, a man she knows loves the parts of her he knows about. Mary always being an outsider, the kindest and most beautiful girl in her class, but so slow to trust and quick to speak that everyone is afraid to be her friend. Mary is a character that has the potential a lot more development, for twelve seasons she’s the burning martyr in every Winchester’s imagined paradise. She deserves more. How much I need this in my life: 11/10, Mary isn’t my favorite character but I would die for her.

Gabriel spin-off. That’s it, that’s the idea. How much I need this in my life: 10000000/10, Gabriel is a character that we don’t know a lot about so there are so many possible directions for a story about him to go.

Show set in the SPN universe that doesn’t really interact with the main show’s canon. It’s about two cops in the 30s that become hunters by accident. After investigating the apparent suicide of a hunter in their small town, they become enthralled by her library, filled with books about ghosts and vampires. They pour over her journals on their own time, fascinated by what they’re reading. They get to know the hunter through her writings, her accounts of her hunts and travels. Eventually, a nest of vampires settles in the town and the two put their newfound knowledge to the test. This show would just be based on canon lore, there wouldn’t be any mention of the Winchesters or other main characters, although a few MoL team-ups is definitely a possibility. The two become quite a team, tracking werewolf backs on bulletin boards in their basements and hoarding rock salt. How much I need this in my life: 89/10, I think this could be really interesting and I am a sucker for historical hunters.

Speaking of historical hunters-Samuel Colt prequel. Cowboys, vampires, cowpires. Hunting in the wild west, galloping across the prairie chasing a pack of werewolves. This show could also tell us a lot about how different types of monsters spread across the U.S. Ghosts will go anywhere people go, but what about vampires? Shapeshifters? Ghouls? What was it like to hunt without technology to help with research? The hunters in this series would be the authors of the journals that modern hunters use every day. They’re the ones that tested tracking and trapping methods. Again, no idea if this is making sense, but I think that a supernatural western would be really awesome and would expand/substantiate the canon lore. How much I need this in my life: 1000000000000000000000000000000/10, I love cowboys and I love Supernatural. This is literally the best thing that could ever happen to me.

Crowley. I want to know more about him. A series that tells us all about Fergus Roderick MacLeod, starting with when he was born in Scotland and ending with his death in All Along the Watchtower. We know that Rowena was his mother, that he was a tailor, that he sold his soul for an extra three inches ~down there~, and that he was a terrible dad. I want to know more about his childhood, about the people he made deals with, about how he became king of the crossroads and of Hell. Crowley was a very interesting character that was abused by the story. I want to know more about him. How much I need this in my life: 10000000000000000000000000000000000000/10, I really do love Crowley and I would watch this a thousand times over.

Final idea: MOTW only. No season arc, no overall storyline. New hunters every episode, from all different times, from over the world. All kinds of monsters. One episode in Victorian England, the next in 1990s Los Angeles. Very few recurring characters, if any. The recurring characters would be the Bobby Singers of the world; the lore guys that you call when you need help. Each new character has their own style, own car, own music, own personality. The show could have some a m a z i n g guest stars because they’d only appear in a few episodes. There are so many possibilities for episodes, even if they weren’t full length. How much I need this in my life: 100000/10, I love MOTW episodes and would really like to get to know the characters. It would be very easy to write one-off fanfics for this show, and also very easy to introduce this show’s characters into Supernatural’s canon.

You made it to the end!!!!!!!! That’s all I have for now. Sorry for writing so much, I just can’t stop thinking about SPN and all of the wasted stories.

[bnha-mha-imagines]

Masterlist

(This is a living document :)

-

KEY: 

H - Headcanons

I - Imagine (Story, 1000+ words)

M - Mega-imagine (3000+ words)

D - Drabble (Shorts, roughly 800> words)

Fanfics - Multi-chapter stories by yours truly :)

-

Comfort - Comforting stories! Recovery/healing from your baby :)

Spice - Heated stories! The physical/intimate side! Borderline nsfw ;)

Humor - Funny stories! Jokes, humor, laughs! :D

Fluff - Cute stories! Full of warm and fuzzy feelings! :) 

Angst - Ouchie stories! Heavy topics that hurt your heart! :0

Spook - Goosebump stories! Thrillers, scary, and shivers! :0

Running Fanfics: 

21 Roses - Fem!Reader x Various - Pro-hero reader, Lady Luck, just becomes the bachelorette on a new dating television show! 21 suitors are lined up, but will she get lucky with one of them? 

(Reader interactive! :))

STUDENTS:

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Izuku Midoriya (Deku):

(H) Izuku with an S/O with glasses  (fluff)

(I) Izuku - Take Five (spice)

(I) Izuku - Take Two (Take Five P2) (Spice)

(H) Midoriya w/ s/o singing to him (comfort)  

(D) S/O injured in a villain attack (angst)

(D) Finds s/o’s secret lost rat (fluff?)

(I) Fairy!Deku x reader (fluff)

(H) w/ a twin sibling (fluff)

(H) w/ art-hoe s/o (fluff)

(H) w/ adrenaline junkie s/o (fluff)

-

Katsuki Bakugo:

(H) Bakugo asking out a shy crush (fluff)

(H) Bakugo with S/O with glasses  (fluff)

(M) Bakugo - Best Two Out of Three  (spice)

(H) Bakugo first kiss  (fluff)

(H) Bakugo with an s/o side-stepping his advances (spice)

(H) Bakugo with a chubby s/o (comfort/fluff)

(I) Fight with a quirkless s/o (angst)

(D) Finds s/o’s secret lost rat (fluff?)

(I) Grinch - 2019 Christmas

(D) Bakugo discovers his gf is abusing you (angst)

(D) P2 comforts you after Todoroki’s a dick (comfort)

(I) S/o strips in her sleep (humor/spice)

(H) w/ a twin sibling (fluff)

(H) w/ art-hoe s/o (fluff)

(H) with a touchy/cuddly s/o (fluff)

(H) w/ adrenaline junkie s/o (fluff)

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Denki Kaminari:

(H) Denki asking out a shy crush  (fluff)

(I) Denki - Shock Factor  (fluff)

(D) Denki meme partners in crime (humor)

(I) Denki when s/o has a bad day at work (angst/comfort)

(H) Kaminari late to his date (humor) 

(H) Kaminari as a human disaster (humor)

(H) Denki with a chubby s/o (comfort/fluff)

(H) Denki stubs his toe (humor)

(H) Dating Denki (fluff)

(H) Werewolf!Denki (fluff)

(I) Mistletoe - Christmas 2019

(D) s/o dressed up as a sexy nurse for Halloween (spice)

(H) if Kaminari is the traitor :( (angst)

(H) Does Kaminari play electricity bills? (humor)

(H) w/ an Australian s/o (fluff/humor)

(H) w/ a twin sibling (fluff)

(M) Soulmate tattoo au where jirou tries to keep you apart (fluff/angst on jirou)

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Tokoyami Fumikage:

(D) Tokoyami makes mugcakes with a short crush (fluff)

(I) Tokoyami switching bodies with crush (humor) 

-

Tamaki Amajiki:

(D) Tamaki bittersweet pining for crush (angst)

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Sero Hanta:

(H) Sero asking out a shy crush  (fluff)

(H) Sero with a chubby s/o (comfort/fluff)

(I) Dullahan!Sero x Reader (fluff/spook)

(I) Drider!Sero x Reader (fluff/spook)

(H) Werewolf!Sero confessing being a werewolf (fluff)

(I) Gift Wrapping - Christmas 2019

(H) With small/cute s/o who swears (humor/fluff)

-

Eijiro Kirishima:

(H) Eijiro asking out a shy crush (fluff)

(H) Kirishima w/ s/o jamming to music (humor)  

(D) Finds s/o’s secret lost rat (fluff?)

(H) Hellhound!Kirishima (fluff/spook)

(I) Chimera!Kirishima x Reader (spook)

(D) Kirishima hiking w/ reader (fluff, slight spice)

(I) Hot Cocoa - 2019 Christmas (fluff)

(H) With small/cute s/o who swears (humor/fluff)

(H) w/ an Australian s/o (fluff/humor)

(H) S/o with a lion quirk (fluff)

-

Shoto Todoroki:

(H) Shoto asking out a shy crush (fluff)

(H) Shoto w/ S/O with glasses  (fluff)

(I) Shoto w/ Homesick American Crush  (comfort)

(D) Shoto watching a Scary Movie (fluff/humor)

(I) Villain!Todoroki (angst)

(H) Todoroki w/ s/o jamming to music (humor)  

(D) S/O injured in a villain attack (angst)

(D) Finds s/o’s secret lost rat (fluff?)

(I) Unrequited love with his best friend (angst)

(I) S/o strips in her sleep (humor/spice)

(H) w/ art-hoe s/o (fluff)

(H) with a touchy/cuddly s/o (fluff)

(H) w/ adrenaline junkie s/o (fluff)

-

Mirio Togata:

(H) Werewolf!Miro (fluff)

-

Hitoshi Shinsou:

(H) Hitoshi w/ S/O with glasses (fluff)

(I) Defending Shinsou from bullies (comfort/fluff) 

(H) Distracting Shinsou in class (fluff)

(H) Shinsou Saturday cartoon  (fluff/hint of spice)

(I) Shinsou play flight with his s/o (fluff, hint of spice)

(H) w/ an Australian s/o (fluff/humor)

-

Tenya Iida:

(I) Iida Happy One Year Anniversary (fluff)

(D) Monster!Iida x reader (spook)

-

Mina Ashido:

(D) Mina with a crush who can’t swim (humor)

(D) Mina with a crush who plays dnd (fluff/humor) 

(H) Mina with s/o who had anxiety/support animal (comfort)

(H) With small/cute s/o who swears (humor/fluff)

-

Seiji Shishikura:

(D) Seiji makes his crush vomit (humor)

-

Mei Hatsume:

(D) Mei Hatsume with attention-seeking reader (spice)

-

Inasa Yoarashi:

(I) Inasa x Reader at the Hero License Exam (fluff/angst) 

(I) Snowball Fight - 2019 Christmas

-

Tsuyu Asai:

(H) Tsuyu on a boat-date (fluff)

(I) Kelpie!Tsuyu x reader (fluff/spook)

-

Yuga Aoyama:

(D) s/o dressed up as a sexy nurse for Halloween (spice)

(I) Crush has a revealing hero suit (fluff/spice)

-

Ochako Uraraka:

(D) S/O injured in a villain attack (angst)

-

Minoru Mineta (LOL):

(I) April 1, 2020 - Crush confesses to Mineta (idek)

VILLAINS:

---

Twice (Jin Bubaigawara):

(D) Twice x reader (angst)

(H) Meeting insane new member (spook)

-

Shigaraki Tomura:

(H) Jealous because of Dabi’s friendship with crush  (Spice)

(H) Meeting insane new member (spook)

(D) s/o dressed up as a sexy nurse for Halloween (spice)

(H) with a touchy/cuddly s/o (fluff)

-

Kurogiri:

(H) Meeting insane new member (spook)

-

Dabi:

(H) Meeting insane new member (spook)

(H) with a touchy/cuddly s/o (fluff)

-

Himiko Toga:

(H) Meeting insane new member (spook)

(H) with a touchy/cuddly s/o (fluff)

-

Spinner (Shuichi Iguchi):

(H) Meeting insane new member (spook)

-

Mr. Compress (Atsuhiro Sako):

(H) Meeting insane new member (spook)

-

Magne (Kenji Hikiishi):

(H) Meeting insane new member (spook)

-

PRO HEROS:

---

Hizashi Yamada (Present Mic): 

(H) Present Mic love language (Fluff)

-

Toshinori Yagi (All Might):

(I) Crush ghosts him after seeing his true form (angst)

(I) Ice Skating - Christmas 2019 (fluff)

-

Shota Aizawa (Eraserhead):

(I) Strangers on Christmas - Secret Santa 2019 (fluff)

(D) s/o dressed up as a sexy nurse for Halloween (spice)

-

OTHER:

Valentine Pick-Up Lines 2020

[theculturedmarxist]

My dad was born in 1917. Somehow, he survived the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918-1919, but an outbreak of whooping cough in 1923 claimed his baby sister, Clementina. One of my dad’s first memories was seeing his sister’s tiny white casket. Another sister was permanently marked by scarlet fever. In 1923, my dad was hit by a car and spent two weeks in a hospital with a fractured skull as well as a lacerated thumb. His immigrant parents had no medical insurance, but the driver of the car gave his father $50 toward the medical bills. The only lasting effect was the scar my father carried for the rest of his life on his right thumb.

The year 1929 brought the Great Depression and lean times. My father’s father had left the family, so my dad, then 12, had to pitch in. He got a newspaper route, which he kept for four years, quitting high school after tenth grade so he could earn money for the family. In 1935, like millions of other young men of that era, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a creation of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal that offered work on environmental projects of many kinds. He battled forest fires in Oregon for two years before returning to his family and factory work. In 1942, he was drafted into the Army, going back to a factory job when World War II ended. Times grew a little less lean in 1951 when he became a firefighter, after which he felt he could afford to buy a house and start a family.

I’m offering all this personal history as the context for a prediction of my dad’s that, for obvious reasons, came to my mind again recently. When I was a teenager, he liked to tell me: “I had it tough in the beginning and easy in the end. You, Willy, have had it easy in the beginning, but will likely have it tough in the end.” His prophecy stayed with me, perhaps because even then, somewhere deep down, I already suspected that my dad was right.

The COVID-19 pandemic is now grabbing the headlines, all of them, and a global recession, if not a depression, seems like a near-certainty. The stock market has been tanking and people’s lives are being disrupted in fundamental and scary ways. My dad knew the experience of losing a loved one to disease, of working hard to make ends meet during times of great scarcity, of sacrificing for the good of one’s family. Compared to him, it’s true that, so far, I’ve had an easier life as an officer in the Air Force and then a college teacher and historian. But at age 57, am I finally ready for the hard times to come? Are any of us?

And keep in mind that this is just the beginning. Climate change (recall Australia’s recent and massive wildfires) promises yet more upheavals, more chaos, more diseases. America’s wanton militarism and lying politicians promise more wars. What’s to be done to avert or at least attenuate the tough times to come, assuming my dad’s prediction is indeed now coming true? What can we do?

It’s Time to Reimagine America

Here’s the one thing about major disruptions to normalcy: they can create opportunities for dramatic change. (Disaster capitalists know this, too, unfortunately.) President Franklin Roosevelt recognized this in the 1930s and orchestrated his New Deal to revive the economy and put Americans like my dad back to work.

In 2001, the administration of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney capitalized on the shock-and-awe disruption of the 9/11 attacks to inflict on the world their vision of a Pax Americana, effectively a militarized imperium justified (falsely) as enabling greater freedom for all. The inherent contradiction in such a dreamscape was so absurd as to make future calamity inevitable. Recall what an aide to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld scribbled down, only hours after the attack on the Pentagon and the collapse of the Twin Towers, as his boss’s instructions (especially when it came to looking for evidence of Iraqi involvement): “Go massive — sweep it all up, things related and not.” And indeed they would do just that, with an emphasis on the “not,” including, of course, the calamitous invasion of Iraq in 2003.

To progressive-minded people thinking about this moment of crisis, what kind of opportunities might open to us when (or rather if) Donald Trump is gone from the White House? Perhaps this coronaviral moment is the perfect time to consider what it would mean for us to go truly big, but without the usual hubris or those disastrous invasions of foreign countries. To respond to COVID-19, climate change, and the staggering wealth inequities in this country that, when combined, will cause unbelievable levels of needless suffering, what’s needed is a drastic reordering of our national priorities.

Remember, the Fed’s first move was to inject $1.5 trillion into the stock market. (That would have been enough to forgive all current student debt.) The Trump administration has also promised to help airlines, hotels, and above all oil companies and the fracking industry, a perfect storm when it comes to trying to sustain and enrich those upholding a kleptocratic and amoral status quo.

This should be a time for a genuinely new approach, one fit for a world of rising disruption and disaster, one that would define a new, more democratic, less bellicose America. To that end, here are seven suggestions, focusing — since I’m a retired military officer — mainly on the U.S. military, a subject that continues to preoccupy me, especially since, at present, that military and the rest of the national security state swallow up roughly 60% of federal discretionary spending:

1. If ever there was a time to reduce our massive and wasteful military spending, this is it. There was never, for example, any sense in investing up to $1.7 trillion over the next 30 years to “modernize” America’s nuclear arsenal. (Why are new weapons needed to exterminate humanity when the “old” ones still work just fine?) Hundreds of stealth fighters and bombers — it’s estimated that Lockheed Martin’s disappointing F-35 jet fighter alone will cost $1.5 trillion over its life span — do nothing to secure us from pandemics, the devastating effects of climate change, or other all-too-pressing threats. Such weaponry only emboldens a militaristic and chauvinistic foreign policy that will facilitate yet more wars and blowback problems of every sort. And speaking of wars, isn’t it finally time to end U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan? More than $6 trillion has already been wasted on those wars and, in this time of global peril, even more is being wasted on this country’s forever conflicts across the Greater Middle East and Africa. (Roughly $4 billion a month continues to be spent on Afghanistan alone, despite all the talk about “peace” there.)

2. Along with ending profligate weapons programs and quagmire wars, isn’t it time for the U.S. to begin dramatically reducing its military “footprint” on this planet? Roughly 800 U.S. military bases circle the globe in a historically unprecedented fashion at a yearly cost somewhere north of $100 billion. Cutting such numbers in half over the next decade would be a more than achievable goal. Permanently cutting provocative “war games” in South Korea, Europe, and elsewhere would be no less sensible. Are North Korea and Russia truly deterred by such dramatic displays of destructive military might?

3. Come to think of it, why does the U.S. need the immediate military capacity to fight two major foreign wars simultaneously, as the Pentagon continues to insist we do and plan for, in the name of “defending” our country? Here’s a radical proposal: if you add 70,000 Special Operations forces to 186,000 Marine Corps personnel, the U.S. already possesses a potent quick-strike force of roughly 250,000 troops. Now, add in the Army’s 82nd and 101st Airborne divisions and the 10th Mountain Division. What you have is more than enough military power to provide for America’s actual national security. All other Army divisions could be reduced to cadres, expandable only if our borders are directly threatened by war. Similarly, restructure the Air Force and Navy to de-emphasize the present “global strike” vision of those services, while getting rid of Donald Trump’s newest service, the Space Force, and the absurdist idea of taking war into low earth orbit. Doesn’t America already have enough war here on this small planet of ours?

4. Bring back the draft, just not for military purposes. Make it part of a national service program for improving America. It’s time for a new Civilian Conservation Corps focused on fostering a Green New Deal. It’s time for a new Works Progress Administration to rebuild America’s infrastructure and reinvigorate our culture, as that organization did in the Great Depression years. It’s time to engage young people in service to this country. Tackling COVID-19 or future pandemics would be far easier if there were quickly trained medical aides who could help free doctors and nurses to focus on the more difficult cases. Tackling climate change will likely require more young men and women fighting forest fires on the west coast, as my dad did while in the CCC — and in a climate-changing world there will be no shortage of other necessary projects to save our planet. Isn’t it time America’s youth answered a call to service? Better yet, isn’t it time we offered them the opportunity to truly put America, rather than themselves, first?

5. And speaking of “America First,” that eternal Trumpian catch-phrase, isn’t it time for all Americans to recognize that global pandemics and climate change make a mockery of walls and go-it-alone nationalism, not to speak of politics that divide, distract, and keep so many down? President Dwight D. Eisenhower once said that only Americans can truly hurt America, but there’s a corollary to that: only Americans can truly save America — by uniting, focusing on our common problems, and uplifting one another. To do so, it’s vitally necessary to put an end to fear-mongering (and warmongering). As President Roosevelt famously said in his first inaugural address in the depths of the Great Depression, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Fear inhibits our ability to think clearly, to cooperate fully, to change things radically as a community.

6. To cite Yoda, the Jedi master, we must unlearn what we have learned. For example, America’s real heroes shouldn’t be “warriors” who kill or sports stars who throw footballs and dunk basketballs. We’re witnessing our true heroes in action right now: our doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel, together with our first responders, and those workers who stay in grocery stores, pharmacies, and the like and continue to serve us all despite the danger of contracting the coronavirus from customers. They are all selflessly resisting a threat too many of us either didn’t foresee or refused to treat seriously, most notably, of course, President Donald Trump: a pandemic that transcends borders and boundaries. But can Americans transcend the increasingly harsh and divisive borders and boundaries of our own minds? Can we come to work selflessly to save and improve the lives of others? Can we become, in a sense, lovers of humanity?

7. Finally, we must extend our love to encompass nature, our planet. For if we keep treating our lands, our waters, and our skies like a set of trash cans and garbage bins, our children and their children will inherit far harder times than the present moment, hard as it may be.

What these seven suggestions really amount to is rejecting a militarized mindset of aggression and a corporate mindset of exploitation for one that sees humanity and this planet more holistically. Isn’t it time to regain that vision of the earth we shared collectively during the Apollo moon missions: a fragile blue sanctuary floating in the velvety darkness of space, an irreplaceable home to be cared for and respected since there’s no other place for us to go? Otherwise, I fear that my father’s prediction will come true not just for me, but for generations to come and in ways that even he couldn’t have imagined.

[tmntrpblogcomp]

[coe-lilium]

Hey Lilium! Thanks for your answer, it was really informative! I’ve got myself a litte tablet atm which is really working for me. I meant to ask about character design too- what advice could you give on that?

I’m glad it was helpful! 

Here’s my experience with chara des then, bearing in mind that I’ve yet to finalize a single original charades and all I’ve done till now are redesigns, which -for me, at least?- are a lot easier since they give you a guideline, even if just to say “I’m doing the opposite”. 

1. Find a main theme for the project/piece

2. Research-research-research  

3. Bear in mind that you’re creating/altering something for you to like 

4, bonus. once you’re done, consider the audience you’ll show -or not- your work to.     

1. the main theme/idea for all my redesigns is “I love Fate, but I also love history and die a little every time a Fate design has nothing to do with the character period/culture/history. I wonder what they’ll look like with accurate clothes?”. I’m still running with it, but it needed some adjustments along the way. 

The very first attempt, Martha, was as historically accurate I could manage, which… wasn’t a lot. “low class jewish woman of the 1st century aC” was a little too specific and google gave me little to work on and I had to resort to religious depictions. I’m still happy with her, but now I can see that in my wish to make her as historically plausible as possible I ended up with a design too accurate, to the point of being, well, bland. Bland and sticking out like a sore thumb if put next to any other Fate character. If and when I’ll revamp her, I’ll add details and be careful to include something to convey her personality.  

So, 1:1 with history was out, next best thing I had was mixing history and the “Fate”/anime aesthetic. Not for every character, mind (Nitocris looks quite fine in clothes taken straight out of a Egyptian parietal painting), but now that I’ve tried, I’ve settled down for “how they’ll look like with evident historical and cultural inspirations?”, which is what I’ve done for Boudica, Jeanne and Bradamante, what I’ll keep doing for the next pieces and also for the original Servants I’m planning. 

Speaking of originals Servants, since I’m having troubles explaining things in general, I’ll use one of them as an example for the next point.

*under the cut for length*

2. Let’s say I want to design another lady from the Orlando Innamorato/Furioso, Marfisa, as a potential Servant. 

As a first step I collect info from the source material. 

She’s of noble origins, mixed race, “pagan”/muslim (it’s complicated), possibly either north African or Arabian, queen of 7 countries by the time she’s 18, devout, proud, brave, honourable and incredibly skilled as a warrior, has no magic aids or objects but win on sheer ability alone. Twin of Ruggiero (Brad’s fiancee), friend of Astolfo and Bradamante. Had an armor she cared a lot for and went to great lengths to get back when it got stolen. 

(me being me, I also went to academia.edu, found articles/PhD on her and read them to better understand the character, but there’s few chara I’m willing to research to this length for a redesign).  

Considering Servants are summoned at their peaks, physically I’ll have her look in her late teens/early twenties, brown skin and with a hijab (which will require some research by itself).  

Onto deciding the clothes/armor now: 

- the “official” time period of her life should be that of historical Charlemagne rule and life, but the works in which she features have no claims of historicity whatsoever and were published in 1483 and 1516.

- comes from the same material as the Paladins and thus should -imo- looks like she somehow belongs with them even if she’s in their enemy camp and from a different culture. 

- as they are now, the Paladins common (?) aesthetic seems to be, sorry can’t contain the snark, “random fantasy isekai reject”, with Astolfo being the best designed by miles and Charles looking fine in his alt armored skin, the rest being a disaster. This point has the highest chance not to get contemplated in the final design bc I loathe it. Being less snarky, the few positive design details point to their inspiration being rooted more in 1500 than 800 AC fashion, so I’ll keep that in mind. 

So, she’s got no reason to being accurate with a single period (or culture) but could should instead integrate bits from many places and eras. Influences from easily accessible media is welcome, both to mirror the Paladins LN influences and bc the og poems were incredibly successful and printed in spades and read in courts and less noble houses alike. 

Now that I have my guidelines it’s finally time to hunt for visual references. 

Looking for historical islamic countries armor is a obligatory step bc I personally have no idea how they looked like and if I find how they were assembled and what colors were used it will be helpful to build my own ver and know how things attach. The period and place doesn’t count, I simply go for what I like more and think this particular chara would wear. Your mileage my vary, but for me history is always the first step to start from, bc if you use only popular media or artistic depictions there’s the chance to make mistakes easily corrected when looking at how the real stuff worked and also to get more… repetitive?

Then I look for how the character’s being depicted before in art of all periods. In this case all I found was a white lady in european armor, completely useless, but usually there’s a lot more and for other characters this “spot” is where I spend most of my researching time after the historical one. 

Then I look for… video games with historical settings that fit my criteria (remember, popular media). Find something I like and keep digging into a particular game and -if lucky enough- in the deviantart pages of the artists responsible for that or that other design.                            

After I’ve collected a lot of different refs I go here on tumblr or on DA or in dedicated sites to find nice palettes and after I’ve got different options for these as well, rejoice!, research time is finally over!

Now’s time to mix all the influences and draw :D

3. Not a lot to say here, just that if you’re not working under commission then you’re doing this for fun and mostly for yourself, so put in the things you like. You like implausible fantasy/jrpg/videogame/cartoon aesthetic more than IRL/ historical aesthetic? Dang, go for it. 

My mindset got a lot better when I embraced the fact I wasn’t redesigning these characters to “make them objectively better”, there was no “mission”: I was doing this to please myself and my own tastes, and that was enough.  

 4. For example, I know I could cover all the Fate ladies in armor for no other reason than I like ladies in armor and find at least neutral reactions on this blog or my DA page, but you’ll never see me post my works in the fgo reddit, even those I’m more proud of, because I know that subreddit and I have no intention to submit myself to a river of mocking, accuses of puritanism and muh censorship!!. 

I suppose this suggestion’s useless if you want to always widen your audience and/or are looking for employment in the field and need all the recognition you can get, but as I have no intention of doing either I get to decide where to show my stuff and to avoid places where it’s likely the reactions will make me feel miserable. No one needs that noise in their life for a hobby, fuck that.          

Last but not for relevance, as a cautionary tale? Spite/anger at something can be one hell of a motivation to start working, but it’s not enough to let you finish a project unless you start enjoy what you’re creating down the road. 

In case of og chara it shouldn’t be any spite, but as soon as you get tired of your work, stop, put it on hiatus and go concentrate on something else. We’re doing this because it makes us happy, it’s no good to let it drag and become a chore.

[theaprilfools]

GUYS??? i didnt even leave for that long what is going on???

@1-800-disaster-twins donnie why is this weird leo strapped to ur table put him down now?????

[ideas-of-immortality]

Vote for @1-800-disaster-twins in the upcoming polls for @tmntrpblogcomp :D

[thepeachyprotector]

// behind the screen with Leo from @1-800-disaster-twins

[canislupus-exe]

Hey dude! Congrats on 800! Could i get a ship for voltron and posSIBLy IT? Im a bisexual transguy with short hair, like daniel howell, im 5'7, i take pride in my height, and im hella pale and i wear glasses. Im v introverted, i curse a lot, idk why,and i yell a lot, and im more so a loner, but i love going on adventures, i break rules more than follow them, memes are my shit, music is my shit, i like to draw and sing a lot, bur basically i act drunk when im sober,and im a walking disaster lmFAO.

I ship you with…

Lance McClain!

I imagine that Lance was definitely a meme lord back on earth, I also imagine that’s how you two became friends. You were doing it to ‘em (’em being Hunk) and Lance immediately joined in. From then on, it was just set in stone. You both fucked around all the time, teased Pidge about her height, and yeah, you guessed it, snuck out at night with each other.

You told Lance a lot of things you didn’t tell anyone else because albeit you being a loner, you trusted him. He was the first person you had come out to, about both your gender and sexuality. Lance had never really seemed like the guy to be super caring and you were slightly scared, but when he hugged you and told you it didn’t change anything, that’s when you truly fell.

Fast forward a little and now everyone is on the castle of lions and things are back to being semi-normal. I say that because honestly how normal can things really be when you’re staying on a ship with aliens and flying sentient mechanical lions. Lance being the person he was, continuously helped you with whatever he could. Whether it be something as big as your dysphoria or something as small as finding your glasses, he was always there for you.

He was also obsessed with your singing. He would force you to sing duets with him and even though you told him you hated it you actually loved it. When everyone is out flying and training, you decide to stay behind and draw, and your favorite subject is, can you guess? Yeah, it’s Lance. And honestly, I’m just gonna say it. Y’all are perfect for each other.

“(Y/n), what are you drawing?” Lance asked, leaning over your shoulder and trying to get a glimpse of your sketchpad. Your hands began to sweat as you quickly changed the page, not wanting him to see that you were drawing him.

“Nothing,” You replied quickly.

“Oh come on, I saw you turn the page, I’m not that dumb. Just show me!” He pleaded, walking in front of you.

“No Lance, it’s really nothing important.” You said nervously.

“Oh yeah? If it’s really nothing then why don’t you just show me?” He asked. You sighed before shaking your head.

“Because I don’t want to.” You said. Lance frowned and let his shoulders drop before walking away. You sighed in relief. It was foolish to think that Lance would give up that easily though. When you let your guard down, Lance quickly snatched your sketchbook out of your hands. You stood up quickly, reaching out to grab it from him.

“Come on Lance, it’s not funny! Give it back!” You shouted. Lance shook his head and opened to a random page, keeping the book out of your reach. The page was a picture of him, just a simple drawing of his face.

“Woah, (Y/n), when did you draw this?” He asked, continuing to flip. Now you were trying even more desperately to get it back, knowing exactly what picture was coming up.

“Lance, please!” But it was already too late. He had flipped to the picture. He had seen it.

“Is that… Us?” He asked. You let your arms fall to your sides before sighing.

“Listen, I-”

“The proportions are off.” He interrupted. You paused.

“Excuse me?” You asked. He pointed to the drawing.

“The proportions. They’re off. Here, I think I can help.” He replied. Before you could ask, he handed you the book and began rummaging around Pidge’s desk. He grabbed something and began to set something else up. After a few minutes, he clicked a button and walked back to you. He grabbed the book in your hands and set it down.

“Lance, what are you…”

“3…”

“Why are you…”

“2…”

“I don’t think I…”

“1…”

And as the last number left his mouth, he kissed you. His hands were on your cheeks and his lips were as soft as fresh blankets out of a dryer. There was a bright flash and even though you wanted to stay there forever, he pulled away. You stood there, stunned as he walked to the device he set up. When he walked back, he handed you a photo. It was of you and him kissing.

“There, that should help you with the proportions.” He said. You wanted to say something but you were speechless as he began walking away.

“Lance… You can’t just…”

“Can and did. I’ll be by yours tomorrow at around 7, date, be ready.” He yelled, walking out of the door.

And…

Richie Tozier!

Richie was the King of humor. No matter what anyone said, whether it be something about a car or something about dinosaurs, he always had something up his sleeve to make it a joke. This was both a plus and a minus. Jokes when you’re feeling down or dysphoric to make you feel better but also jokes when you were trying to talk to him about something serious.

Eddie got teased by Richie for being smaller than him, and you got teased for being taller than him. You were proud of your height but damn did Richie’s jokes get on your nerves. Not even because they were offensive, just purely for the reason that he made them so frequently.

A lot of people said you two looked like you could be twins. From the glasses to the pale skin to the mouth of a sailor you shared. You could see why, but that didn’t make it any less uncomfortable. Saying that you could be the twin of your crush? Idk that would rub anyone the wrong way.

You and Richie ditched classes together, and that was one of your favorite things to do with him. It was peaceful, in a way. Just Richie and (Y/n). No one else. Sure, Richie was loud and obnoxious and used ‘your mom’ jokes way too much, but at the end of the day, that’s why you loved him. He was unapologetically him.

“Cigarette?” Richie asked, offering you the box. You rolled your eyes.

“Come on Rich, you know I don’t smoke.” You replied. He shrugged before putting them away and pulling a lighter out of his back pocket. After taking a second to light the end and take a drag, he sighed.

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you.” He said. You glanced at him and raised your eyebrows.

“About…?” You asked. He sighed again, staring at the embers that fell of the cigarette.

“I… I don’t know honestly.” He replied. You frowned before looking forward.

“Whatever it is… You can tell me,” You whispered. Richie took a long drag before blowing the smoke out and dropping the cigarette. After he smashed it with the toe of his boot, he stuck his hands in his pocket.

“I guess… It’s about you.” He mumbled. You looked at him, now more confused then you were before.

“Me?” You asked. Richie moved his eyes so he was staring at the sky.

“Yeah. I think… I know… I like you… As more than a friend.” He said. You stared at him in disbelief. Richie had never shown any sign of liking you. Hell, he didn’t even show any sign of liking guys. Yet, here he was, admitting his feeling for you, and here you were, liking him back but not able to find the words to say it.

“I… I like you too.” You replied simply. Richie turned to you, his eyes extra wide under the thick lenses of his glasses.

“Really?” He asked. You laughed quietly.

“Yeah.”

Richie’s mouth formed the shit-eating grin he always had painted on his face, but this time it was different. This time, for some reason, it felt even more genuine.

“Boyfriends?” He asked, holding out his hand. You glanced down at it with a small blush on your cheeks.

“Boyfriends.” You confirmed, slipping your hand into his.

1) I made these super long idk I just had some cute ideas and once I have cute ideas there’s no stopping me and 2) you sound adorable????? be my friend?????????? please??????????????????????? Anyways,,, thanks and I hope you enjoy !!

[newstfionline]

Monday, September 6, 2021

Nearly 1 in 3 Americans experienced a weather disaster this summer (Washington Post) Nearly 1 in 3 Americans live in a county hit by a weather disaster in the past three months, according to a new Washington Post analysis of federal disaster declarations. On top of that, 64 percent live in places that experienced a multiday heat wave—phenomena that are not officially deemed disasters but are considered the most dangerous form of extreme weather. The expanding reach of climate-fueled disasters, a trend that has been increasing at least since 2018, shows the extent to which a warming planet has already transformed Americans’ lives. At least 388 people in the United States have died due to hurricanes, floods, heat waves and wildfires since June, according to media reports and government records. Record-shattering temperatures in the Pacific Northwest cooked hundreds of people to death in their own homes. Flash floods turned basement apartments into death traps and in one instance ripped twin babies from their father’s arms. Wildfires raged through 5 million acres of tinder-dry forest. Chronic drought pushed federal officials to impose mandatory cuts to Colorado River water for the first time.

Do we need humans for that job? Automation booms after COVID (AP) Ask for a roast beef sandwich at an Arby’s drive-thru east of Los Angeles and you may be talking to Tori—an artificially intelligent voice assistant that will take your order and send it to the line cooks. “It doesn’t call sick,” says Amir Siddiqi, whose family installed the AI voice at its Arby’s franchise this year in Ontario, California. “It doesn’t get corona. And the reliability of it is great.” The pandemic didn’t just threaten Americans’ health when it slammed the U.S. in 2020—it may also have posed a long-term threat to many of their jobs. Faced with worker shortages and higher labor costs, companies are starting to automate service sector jobs that economists once considered safe, assuming that machines couldn’t easily provide the human contact they believed customers would demand. Past experience suggests that such automation waves eventually create more jobs than they destroy, but that they also disproportionately wipe out less skilled jobs that many low-income workers depend on. Resulting growing pains for the U.S. economy could be severe.

The Biden Doctrine? (NYT) In the chaotic finale of America’s 20-year war in Afghanistan, a Biden Doctrine is emerging: a foreign policy that avoids forever wars while addressing rising powers. China as America’s existential competitor. Russia as a disrupter. Iran and North Korea as nuclear proliferators. Cyberthreats as ever-evolving. Terrorism as spreading far beyond Afghanistan. The Biden Doctrine “calls for a return to protecting human rights and promoting democracy, but only when consistent with U.S. goals,” our Washington reporters write.

Outside of New Orleans, an even longer road to Ida recovery (AP) Terrebonne Parish was among the hardest-hit areas of Louisiana battered to an unprecedented degree by Hurricane Ida. Though Louisiana’s largest electric utility, Entergy, estimates most residents in New Orleans will have power by Wednesday, recovery efforts outside of the city could be a much longer slog. Some parishes outside New Orleans were battered for hours by winds of 100 mph (160 kph) or more. Fully restoring electricity to some of these southeastern parishes could take until the end of the month, according to Entergy President and CEO Phillip May. Ida damaged or destroyed more than 22,000 power poles, more than hurricanes Katrina, Zeta and Delta combined, an impact May called “staggering.” More than 5,200 transformers failed and nearly 26,000 spans of wire—the stretch of transmission wires between poles—were down.

Mutual aid groups give personalized help after Hurricane Ida (AP) The day after Hurricane Ida struck Louisiana, Delaney Nolan spent hours biking around New Orleans, handing out money to people who needed to pay for supplies or for the hotel rooms where they’d taken shelter. Once the cash ran out—banks were closed, and ATMs were empty or no longer running without electricity—Nolan Venmo’d people the money they needed. As an organizer for the mutual aid group Southern Solidarity in Louisiana, she and her team also handed out free meals from restaurants that were cooking up their food stockpiles before they spoiled. Nolan is among the faces of philanthropy that are tending to the immediate personal losses inflicted by the hurricane. Mutual aid networks like Southern Solidarity spring into action to supplement the more established relief services from federal and local governments, as well as larger charities. The networks, in which community members pool resources and distribute donations to care for one another, seek to avoid the traditional charity model of giver and receiver. They grew in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic as communities across the country faced dire needs. And now they are mobilizing in the wake of other disasters like Hurricane Ida. “Mutual aid is the most effective help right now,” Nolan said. “It’s built on communications with a lot of neighbors and existing relationships, from personally knowing what people need.”

El Salvador court drops ban on presidential reelection (AP) El Salvador’s top court and its election authority have tossed aside what seemed to be a constitutional ban on consecutive presidential reelection, setting the stage for President Nayib Bukele to potentially seek a second term in 2024. The Supreme Court’s Constitutional Chamber on Friday told the Supreme Electoral Tribunal to permit a second term, and the electoral authority announced Saturday it would accept what it called a ruling that cannot be appealed. The rulings—by a court recently overhauled by Bukele’s party—alarmed opposition parties and citizen activist groups who have long accused the popular leader of authoritarian tendencies and who said the ruling was clearly unconstitutional. Bukele has not so far announced plans to seek reelection, but critics assume he will.

Now breakneck economic growth is over, China focuses on new goal: equality (NBC News) Communist China has relentlessly pursued economic growth for decades, creating more billionaires than the United States, lifting 800 million people out of poverty, but leaving another 600 million to live on $150 a month. Now, President Xi Jinping is planning what some experts say would be a dramatic about-face, trying to restructure Chinese society by cracking down on the country’s newly minted super-rich and redistributing wealth more evenly among its population of 1.4 billion. The drive involves plans to “regulate excessively high incomes” and “encourage high-income people and enterprises to return more to society,” according to a readout of Xi’s comments at a meeting of the Chinese Communist Party by the state-run news agency Xinhua. While his slogan of “common prosperity” was hardly new among Chinese leaders, Xi’s speech last month was the starkest example of his apparent plan for a reshaped society. For years the Communist Party has staked its legitimacy on growth that has outpaced that of any other major economy; now that that is slowing, it may feel it has to offer a new promise: equality.

Taiwan scrambles jets against renewed Chinese military activity (Reuters) Taiwan’s air force scrambled on Sunday against renewed Chinese military activity, with its defence ministry reporting that 19 aircraft including nuclear-capable bombers had flown into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone. Chinese-claimed Taiwan has complained for a year or more of repeated missions by China’s air force near the self-ruled island, often in the southwestern part of its air defence zone near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands. The latest Chinese mission involved 10 J-16 and four Su-30 fighters, as well as four H-6 bombers, which can carry nuclear weapons, and an anti-submarine aircraft, Taiwan’s Defence Ministry said.

Rescue groups: US tally misses hundreds left in Afghanistan (AP) Veteran-led rescue groups say the Biden administration’s estimate that no more than 200 U.S. citizens were left behind in Afghanistan is too low and also overlooks hundreds of other people they consider to be equally American: permanent legal residents with green cards. Some groups say they continue to be contacted by American citizens in Afghanistan who did not register with the U.S. Embassy before it closed and by others not included in previous counts because they expressed misgivings about leaving loved ones behind. As for green card holders, they have lived in the U.S. for years, paid taxes, become part of their communities and often have children who are U.S. citizens. Yet the administration says it does not have an estimate on the number of such permanent residents who are in Afghanistan and desperately trying to escape Taliban rule.

Soldiers detain Guinea’s president, dissolve government (AP) Mutinous soldiers in the West African nation of Guinea detained President Alpha Conde on Sunday after hours of heavy gunfire rang out near the presidential palace in the capital, then announced on state television that the government had been dissolved in an apparent coup d’etat. The country’s borders were closed and its constitution was declared invalid in the announcement read aloud on state television by army Col. Mamadi Doumbouya, who told Guineans: “The duty of a soldier is to save the country.” It was not immediately known, though, how much support Doumbouya had within the military or whether other soldiers loyal to the president of more than a decade might attempt to wrest back control. A former U.S. diplomat in Conakry confirmed to The Associated Press that the president had been taken into custody by the putschists. Conde, in power for more than a decade, had seen his popularity plummet since he sought a third term last year, saying that term limits did not apply to him. Sunday’s dramatic developments underscored how dissent had mounted within the military as well.