#28 turning 29 in october

[carpe-noctvm]

How old are you now?

I am 25... plus 3

[liatkolink]

For people still in denial whether Israel has committed war crimes, here is a comprehensive list of war crimes Israel has committed both before and after Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, the list being taken from the Wikipedia article of war crimes with some notable missing examples being the usage of chemical weapons, famine, disease and apartheid. The 7th of October attack did not occur in a vacuum, but is the product of decades of Israel not being held accountable for its war crimes.

Killing civilians:

Israel/Palestine: Unlawful Israeli Airstrikes Kill Civilians by Human Rights Watch on 15/Jul/2014

‘Not a normal war’: doctors say children have been targeted by Israeli snipers in Gaza – The Guardian on 2/Apr/2024

Israeli attack on Rafah tent camp kills 45, prompts international outcry by Reuters on 27/May/2024

Intentionally killing PoWs:

Israel’s Hush-Up Machine in Action: Denying Story Israel Executed Egyptian Prisoners by Washington Report on Middle East Affairs on 8/Apr/2010

Torture:

Israeli government report admits systematic torture of Palestinians by The Guardian on 10/Feb/2000

Israel/OPT: Horrifying cases of torture and degrading treatment of Palestinian detainees amid spike in arbitrary arrests by Amnesty International on 8/Nov/2023

Israel: Palestinian Healthcare Workers Tortured by Human Rights Watch on 26/Aug/2024

Taking hostages:

Infographic: How many Palestinians are imprisoned by Israel? by AlJazeera on 17/Apr/2022

The thousands of Palestinians Israel arrests, tortures, holds even in death by AlJazeera on 17/Apr/2024

UN report: Palestinian detainees held arbitrarily and secretly, subjected to torture and mistreatment by the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner on 31/Jul/2024

Unnecessarily destroying civilian property:

Israel destroys Gaza tower housing AP and Al Jazeera offices by Reuters on 15/May/2021

Israel targets infrastructure in Gaza to ramp up civilian pressure on Hamas, report claims by PBS News on 11/Dec/2023

Widespread destruction by Israeli Defence Forces of civilian infrastructure in Gaza by the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner on 8/Feb/2024

Deception by perfidy:

Israeli soldier gives 74-year-old Palestinian woman water then shoots her in the head by Middle East Monitor on 20/Jan/2015

Israeli special forces disguised as doctors kill three militants at West Bank hospital by The Guardian on 30/Jan/2024

NBC News investigation reveals Israel strikes on Gaza areas it said were safe by NBC News on 26/Apr/2024

Wartime sexual violence:

Stripped, beaten and blindfolded: new research reveals ongoing violence and abuse of Palestinian children detained by Israeli military by Save the Children on 10/Jul/2023

Israel/oPt: UN experts appalled by reported human rights violations against Palestinian women and girls by the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner on 19/Feb/2024

‘Everything is legitimate’: Israeli leaders defend soldiers accused of rape by AlJazeera on 9/Aug/2024

Pillaging:

The Biblical Pseudo-Archeologists Pillaging the West Bank by The Atlantic on 28/Feb/2013

Jewish Soldiers and Civilians Looted Arab Neighbors' Property en Masse in '48. The Authorities Turned a Blind Eye by Haaretz on 3/Oct/2020

Israeli soldiers boast about looting from Gaza by AlJazeera on 14/Feb/2024

Any individual that is part of the command structure who orders any attempt to committing mass killings:

Netanyahu incites violence by casting protesters as clear and present danger by Middle East Eye on 30/Jul/2020

Israeli minister's call to 'erase' Palestinian village an incitement to violence, US says by Reuters on 1/Mar/2023

Netanyahu cites 'Amalek' Theory to justify Gaza Killings by Times of India on 29/Oct/2023

Database exposes 500 instances of Israeli incitement to genocide in Gaza by TRT World 4/Jan/2024

Genocide:

The Genocide of the Palestinian People: An International Law and Human Rights Perspective by Center for Constitutional Rights on 25/Aug/2016

Genocide Warning: Israel & Palestine by Genocide Watch on 21/May/2021

A top U.N. court says Gaza genocide is 'plausible' but does not order cease-fire by npr on 26/Jan/2024

‘Reasonable grounds’ to believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, UN rights expert says by CNN on 27/Mar/2024

Is Israel Committing Genocide in Gaza? New Report from BU School of Law’s International Human Rights Clinic Lays Out Case from Boston University Today on 5/Jun/2024

Ethnic cleansing:

UN Human Rights Council: ‘Israel engaging in ethnic cleansing’ by the European Union Parliament on 23/Mar/2011

Israel's ethnic cleansing in Palestine is not history - it's still happening by Middle East Eye on 22/May/2019

UN expert warns of new instance of mass ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, calls for immediate ceasefire by the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner on 14/Oct/2023

‘Plan for ethnic cleansing’: Israel’s north Gaza siege sets off alarms by AlJazeera on 22/Oct/2024

Granting of no quarter despite surrender:

White Flag Deaths Killings of Palestinian Civilians during Operation Cast Lead by Human Rights Watch on 13/Aug/2009

Investigators: Israel fired on Gaza civilians carrying white flags by The Electronic Intifada on 28/Jan/2015

3 hostages killed by Israeli soldier in Gaza were waving a white flag, Israel says by npr on 16/Dec/2023

A group of Palestinian men waving a white flag is shot at, killing 1 by NBC News on 24/Jan/2024

She was fleeing with her grandson, who was holding a white flag. Then she was shot by CNN on 26/Jan/2024

Two brothers shot by Israeli forces in Khan Younis, white flag ignored by AlJazeera on 29/Jan/2024

Conscription of children in the military: First one where I couldn't find anything. Way to go, Israel!

Flouting the legal distinctions of proportionality and military necessity:

Israel violates the principles of necessity, proportionality in its attacks on Gaza by Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor on 13/May/2023

Enough: Self-Defense and Proportionality in the Israel-Hamas Conflict by Just Security on 6/Nov/2023

War Crimes and Accountability: The Case Against Israel’s Military Operations in Gaza by JURIST News on 5/Jul/2024

[bylerween]

Announcing the daily themes for BYLERWEEN 2024! 🎃🦇👻

Each day has three themes: a Halloween theme, a show theme, and a one-word theme. Feel free to use inspiration from just one, two, or all three themes for each day!

Day 1: Sunday, October 27:

Horror AU

Demo Creatures

Summon

Day 2: Monday, October 28:

Masquerade

Turn it Upside Down

Spell

Day 3: Tuesday, October 29:

Graveyard & Zombies

Young Byler & Old Byler

Haunt

Day 4: Wednesday, October 30:

Pumpkins & Skeletons

The Party

Transform

Day 5: Thursday, October 31:

Costume Contest

Trick or Treat, Freak (2x02)

Sweet

Day 6: Friday, November 1:

Movie Night

Hawkins Lab

Fire

Day 7: Saturday, November 2:

Fortune Telling

Season 5 Era

Shiver

🎃🦇👻

Extra prompts and ideas for these themes are under the Read More cut!

amazing art by @magentamee!!!

Here are some additional ideas that you can use as inspiration for each day's themes! You don't need to follow these prompts at all, but feel free to jump off of these ideas.

Day 1: Sunday, October 27:

Horror AU: Make an AU of your favorite horror movie, show, video game, or book. Feature Mike and Will as the villains, or as the final ones standing.

Demo Creatures: Demogorgans, Demodogs, and Demobats, oh my! Revisit our favorite creatures from the Upside Down. Will Dustin’s beloved D’Artagnan make a reappearance? Or create a brand new kind of Demo Creature!

Summon: Will the Wise and the brave paladin Michael are summoned to complete a quest! Or maybe at a spooky sleepover, Mike and Will accidentally summon a demon.

Day 2: Monday, October 28:

Masquerade: Will kisses someone handsome at the masquerade ball, but they had a mask on - was it Mike or someone else? The party shows up to the ball to have a good time, but are surrounded by enemies in masks. Hidden identities, lots of dancing, and a raucous good time!

Turn it Upside Down: Explore the Upside Down, whatever that means to you! Will and Mike go through a gate into the Upside Down, or flip the whole ship on its head: Willow and Michelle around Halloween, underexplored AU’s, flipped ship dynamics. Go crazy with it.

Spell: Enchantments, curses, and magic. Has Hawkins been placed under a spell this Halloween? Will the Wise casts a spell, or has to undo one.

Day 3: Tuesday, October 29:

Graveyard & Zombies: Buried bodies, graveyard shifts, and ghosts. Will and Mike work at the graveyard and have to stop an undead army from rising, or maybe that’s just where they share their first kiss. The “Zombie Boy” nickname still stings Will when it’s thrown around at school, or maybe not so much after Mike fights their bullies.

Young Byler & Old Byler: What did Mike and Will get up to on their first, second, third Halloween together? How do Mike and Will celebrate Halloween once in college, or in their 20s, 30s, 40s, or 50s? How are they spending Halloween in 2024?

Haunt: What still haunts Mike and Will all these years later? Mike searches for Will who is haunting him while still stuck in the Upside Down. Mike and Will bravely face the Hawkins Haunted House, or move into an actual haunted house as adults.

Day 4: Wednesday, October 30:

Pumpkins & Skeletons: Will and Mike carve pumpkins together, make a pumpkin pie, or investigate the mystery of the rotten pumpkin fields in Hawkins. The party fights against skeletons come to life, or a mystery in Hawkins begins when an unlikely skeleton is found.

The Party: Any and all Party Halloween shenanigans! Explore party dynamics during the spooky season, from pranks to trick or treating. What was the party’s first Halloween together like? The party attends or hosts a Halloween party.

Transform: Transformations of any kind! Werewolves, vampires, Frankenstein, or just the kind of transformation that happens when you are stuck in the Upside Down for a week.

Day 5: Thursday, October 31:

Costume Contest: The party is going all out for costumes this year! Or is it just an AU? Dress Mike and Will up in historical clothes, clothes from your other favorite fandom, or anything else! No matter what, Mike and Will are dressed to impress this year.

Trick or Treat, Freak: A perfect day to appreciate our beloved season 2 Halloween episode. Ghostbusters, Max Mayfield has joined the party, Will sees a shadow in the sky. Crazy together.

Sweet: What’s Halloween without candy? Mike and Will share their favorite candies, or maybe they’re just being extra sweet to each other this Halloween.

Day 6: Friday, November 1:

Movie Night: Whether it’s the whole party or just Will and Mike, at the movie theater or just hanging out in the basement: Byler is cozied up and watching their favorite Halloween movie. Or, what if the party is making an amateur horror flick?

Hawkins Lab: What goes on there, and how are Will and Mike involved? Mad scientists, dangerous experiments, and kids with powers.

Fire: Bonfires to keep our boys warm on a chilly October night, the fire under a wizard’s cauldron, Will the Wise casts Fireball, or a dark night lit only by candlelight.

Day 7: Saturday, November 2:

Fortune Telling: Look into the crystal ball and tell me what you see! Will or Mike get their fortune read and things go awry! Horoscopes, tarot reading, palm reading, tea leaves: does knowing the future make things easier, or so much worse?

Season 5 Era: Time to daydream about our season 5 era! Speculate about what spooky things will happen based on the behind the scenes pictures. What does the next Halloween after season 4 look like for Mike and Will? Is there still time to trick or treat when the world is ending?

Shiver: “He’s right behind me, isn’t he?” What has Mike and Will shivering with fright: a supernatural creature, something ancient and mysterious, or a strange deadly virus that has the whole town shivering? Mike and Will get trapped somewhere cold. Will insists that “he likes it cold.” Or maybe there’s just a chill in the air - it is autumn after all.

[pretzel-box]

"This is a side note from Professor Doctor XXXX from the research department to the person in charge of the archive in the basement level.

We have found a curious file among our stash, no name or serial number marked, and would like to know if it accidentally slipped among the requested research material from last week.

Multiple assets are found in the said file.

Please page me or leave a note if you find out more. I leave the keycard to retrieve the file at the front desk.

Day 1: Arrival

Day 2: Bad Omen

Day 3: In the Black

Day 4: Dying Lights

Day 5: False Friends

Day 6: Wrong Rooms

Day 7: Loose Assets

Day 8: Ventilations

Day 9: Suprise Guests

Day 10: Faces in the dark

Day 11: Unspoken Crimes

Day 12: A warm thought

Day 13: Drowning

Day 14: Hide and Seek

Day 15: Dehydration

Day 16: Stocking Up

Day 17: Wrong turn

Day 18: Meeting with Death

Day 19: Three Eyes

Day 20: An Easter Egg

Day 21: Items of Interest

Day 22: A cup of Tea

Day 23: Campfire Story

Day 24: Pumpkin Collection

Day 25: Ghost Hunt

Day 26: A spooky decoration

Day 27: Your favorite monster

Day 28: Costume Parade

Day 29: Summoning Circles

Day 30: Stormy Blackout

Day 31: Trick Or Treat

And with that, welcome to Pretzels October Prompt Challenge, totally selfmade by Pretzel herself. It's a selection of 31 prompts which I will turn into short stories and dabbles.

Of course, others can participate too! It doesn't have to be fanfiction. You can make art or write poems too. Anything is allowed, and you don't even have to do every single day. It's a fun little opportunity to be creative once you feel like it.

I will post the short stories all with the #OctoberPressurePrompts !

[heartschampion]

we fell in love in october — masterlist

PAIRING. ethan landry x fem!reader

SUMMARY. in which you make a bet with your boyfriend, ethan, the night before the start of october. thirty-one days of sex.

CONTENT. no ghostface!au, smut, this is for kinktober so every chapter has its own thing going on i GUESS?, established relationship, slightly experienced!ethan, inexperienced!reader, they basically learn their kinks and stuff throughout the story, fluff (surprise), no beta, not proofread.

STATUS. upcoming.

AN. chapters aren't set in stone so they could change. i'm like half dead while typing this so if there's a mistake pls tell me.

PLAYLIST.

⸻ INDEX.

00. SEPTEMBER 30TH

an innocent night leads to a month of filth.

01. OCTOBER 1ST

morning sex with ethan is always the best way to start off your day.

02. OCTOBER 2ND

you and ethan decide to take a big step in your relationship and have unprotected sex for the first time.

03. OCTOBER 3RD

after a long day of classes, a warm shower is all you need. and your boyfriend in there for some fun.

04. OCTOBER 4TH

shopping with tara leads to buying a little gift as a surprise for both of your boyfriends.

05. OCTOBER 5TH

ethan is out with chad for a 'boys night,' but you can't help but be desperate for his attention even miles away.

06. OCTOBER 6TH

ethan pushes you to your limits.

07. OCTOBER 7TH

an unexpected turn of events leads to discovering something new about your boyfriend.

08. OCTOBER 8TH

sex couldn't get any better with a little extra help.

09. OCTOBER 9TH

everyone needs a helping hand, or mouth.

10. OCTOBER 10TH

you and ethan recreate a scene from a book, taking on the roles of the characters.

11. OCTOBER 11TH

a college frat party isn't a likely place you'd find yourself having sex. especially not with the constant pounding on the door. ethan doesn't seem to care.

12. OCTOBER 12TH

hearing tara rave about aphrodisiacs, you decide to give them a try.

13. OCTOBER 13TH

you let ethan come in you for the first time.

14. OCTOBER 14TH

ethan becomes obsessed with the idea of breeding you, and you're no better.

15. OCTOBER 15TH

sometimes you just need a mouth to murmur sweet nothings into you to really lay back and relax.

16. OCTOBER 16TH

you find yourself a little tied up.

17. OCTOBER 17TH

ethan can't help but wrap his hands around your pretty little neck as he fucks you.

18. OCTOBER 18TH

the phone starts ringing mid session. ethan urges you to answer.

19. OCTOBER 19TH

ethan's partner for his econ project can't seem to keep her hands to herself. your jealousy gets the better of you and you decide to show who he belongs to.

20. OCTOBER 20TH

the group is out for a night of fun, unaware of the game being held between you and ethan.

21. OCTOBER 21ST

hopefully no one notices your hands down the pants of your boyfriend.

22. OCTOBER 22ND

there's nothing more enticing than what you can't see.

23. OCTOBER 23RD

you let ethan fuck you in your sleep after he comes home late.

24. OCTOBER 24TH

watching each other get off turns out to be more intimate than you thought it would be. the only rule is no touching.

25. OCTOBER 25TH

you and ethan get shit-faced drunk, unable to keep your hands to yourselves any longer.

26. OCTOBER 26TH

after the other night, you want to know what it's like to be ethan's little pet.

27. OCTOBER 27TH

cockwarming ethan as he tutors you.

28. OCTOBER 28TH

he much as he gets off on giving you pleasure, he finds just as much amusement in denying it from you.

29. OCTOBER 29TH

you finally let ethan fuck you from the back.

30. OCTOBER 30TH

october is coming close to an end, so the two of you decide to make a little reminder of your time together.

31. OCTOBER 31ST

the best thing about sex with ethan landry is the aftercare he gives afterwards.

32. NOVEMBER 1ST

you get a little more than you bargained for.

[thepumpkin-queenn]

Halloween This or That 🎃

1. Scary pumpkin or Cute pumpkin

2. Creepy dolls or Creepy clown

3. Skeletons or Zombies

4. Trick or Treat

5. Broom or Wand

6. Ghosts are real or Ghosts are fake

7. Halloween party or Scary movie

8. Face mask or Face paint

9. Scary pumpkin carve or cute pumpkin carve

10. Scary costume or Funny costume

11. Hannibal Lector or Norman Bates

12. Warlock or Werewolf

13. Abducted by aliens or Turned into a zombie

14. Black cat or Orange cat

15. Michael or Jigsaw

16. Mummy or Grim Reaper

17. Chocolate or Gummies

18. Take two or Take the whole bowl

19. Monster cookies or Eyeball punch

20. Give out candy or Turn off your lights

21. Gory films or Thrillers

22. Heros or Villains

23. Orange or Black

24. Bat or Owl

25. Halloween parade or Halloween photoshoot

26. Dracula or Frankenstein

27. Candy or Popcorn ball

28. Hocus Pocus or The Nightmare Before Christmas

29. Corn maze at night or During the day

30. Freddy or Jason

31. Last one alive or First one to die

32. Cute decorations or Scary decorations

33. Morticia Addams or Elvira

34. Halloween handmade crafts or Store bought crafts

35. Big pumpkin or Small pumpkin

36. Warm Halloween night or Chilly Halloween night

37. Trick-or-treat or Hand out candy

38. Sleep in a cemetery or Sleep in an abandoned house

39. Scary stories or Ouiji board

40. Pumpkin seeds or Pumpkin pie

41. Go all out on your costume or Go basic

42. Paint your pumpkin or Carve your pumpkin

43. Witches or Demons

44. Ghost or Mummy

45. Reese's or Hershey's

46. Fog machine or Spooky sounds

47. Friday the 13th or 'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

48. Homemade costume or Store-bought costume

49. Haunted hayride or Haunted house

50. Werewolf or Vampire

51. Skeptical or Superstitious

52. Fake blood or Fake spiders

53. Always hiding or Frequently jumpy

54. Sees ghosts or Good at screaming

55. Goodbye October or Stay spooky

56. Good witch or Bad witch

57. Beetlejuice or The Addams Family

58. Trunk or Treat or Fall Festival

59. Good or Evil

60. Chucky or Annabelle

Doing this as an ask. So ask away 👻

[glossysoap]

ready to comply masterlist ; ghoap x winter soldier! reader. beginning april 2023

я готов отвечать or ready to comply, is the phrase you speak after being programmed into HYDRAs weapon.

warnings/tags for series: field surgeon/medic! reader turned winter soldier! reader, not actually unrequited love, misunderstandings, poly, crushes, angst, gore, dismemberment/amputation, torture, mentions of sterilization (but sex/gender not confirmed), red room typical misogyny, violence, sex, hallucinations, murder. more to be added.

pairing: ghoap, and poly ghost x reader x soap.

note: reader is referred to as “y/n” only when necessary as they don’t have a call sign yet. when they do have a call sign, i’ll be using that. but it doesn’t take away from the fic, don’t worry.

any chapters as well as thoughts/drabbles/headcanons in relation to this fic will be found in the “#glossywrites; ready to comply⛓️” tag on my blog.

* this fic is NOT abandoned. *

preview : posted april 12, 2023

the piece that started it all, a ghoap x reader version of the iconic “who the hell is bucky?” scene.

prologue : posted april 28, 2023

you are taken by hydra.

chapter 1; captivity : posted may 8, 2023

retelling of your capture, and the aftermath.

chapter 2; missing in action : posted may 15, 2023

you are reported as missing in action.

chapter 3; dismantled : posted may 22, 2023

you are tortured.

chapter 4; irreparable : posted june 2, 2023

aftermath of you being reported as missing in action. and the continuation of being held captive.

chapter 5; isolation : posted june 12, 2023

the hallucinations start.

chapter 6; ready to comply : posted june 16, 2023

you’re made to forget.

chapter 7; longing : posted july 1, 2023

the task force mourns you.

chapter 8; rusted : posted july 17, 2023

you come face to face with the winter soldier.

chapter 9; fruits of my labor : posted july 26, 2023

reveal of the redhead who captured you.

chapter 10; conditioning : posted august 23, 2023

you fight the winter soldier.

chapter 11; paramnesia : posted october 29, 2023

an angsty glimpse at the parallels between you vs ghost and soap.

chapter 12

moodboards:

headcanons:

poly ghoap/winter soldier!reader

post hydra hc // stray hc

meeting stray + on the run with stray

reader getting captured by hydra again

ghoap x winter soldier!reader intimacy thoughts

clingy/obsessive ghoap // post hydra separation anxiety

drabbles:

if these are canon to the og fic, it will be mentioned in the authors notes of the drabble

serial number

déjà vu

all an illusion

missed chances

till they put their brain back in a blender

fifteen minutes

reactivation

revelations

dead body au thread + cremation addition

time skip au side route:

what if?

©️ glossysoap 2024. please do not steal, copy, plagiarize, translate, or repost any of my works without my permission. do not steal any elements of my theme without permission.

[novy2sirius]

AZTEC ASTROLOGY

—11— (Tochtli/Rabbit)

Aztec Astrology is an old form of astrology dating back to 600 BC. This type of astrology has 20 different signs rather than 12. It originates from an ancient tribe, the Aztecs, who were particularly fond of astronomy

Rabbit Dates: January 11/23, February 9/21, March 5/17/29, April 10/22, May 4/16/28, June 9/21, July 3/15/27, August 8/20, September 1/13/25, October 7/19/31, November 12/24, December 6/18/30

Traits of the rabbit/tochtli —

• Associated with the Moon (the Aztecs believed you could see a rabbit shape in the Moon)

• The most persuasive zodiac of Aztec astrology. Easily sways others with their charm

• They make great social media influencers

• The women/gay men make great romantic partners but the straight men tend to be players. Both genders can be serial daters sometimes though

• Workhorse/hardworking. Strong perseverance

• Very celebratory for others victories (not often jealous)

• Very secretive. Doesn’t open up easily

• Highly prone to anxiety disorders. Especially social anxiety because they’re quite shy

• Optimistic and they also have an addicting positive energy/radiance

• Softies/sensitive/delicate but the male ones tend to hide it a lot

• Often have ADHD or their minds are always racing so they can accidentally sometimes still be thoughtless even though they’re kind most of the time

• Prefers to turn away from conflict most of the time

• Usually financially successful unless unresolved karma isn’t healed

• Needs lots of control over their life. At worst could be too controlling of others

• Abundance of ideas/creative

• Can make friends really easily and are amazing at socializing (even if they don’t always want to)

• At worst can be prone to addiction

• Calculated and rarely act impulsively

• Bunny-like appearance

[aahorrorfest]

Can you see the leaves turning? It's one month until we begin spotlighting the works in our collection!

You can add your works to our collection at any time. The collection will stay open after Halloween as well (until 15 November), but in order to be included in our roundup, make sure you have your themed works in the collection by the date:

Day 1 (October 27): Horror Comedy

Day 2 (October 28): Psychological Horror

Day 3 (October 29): Slasher/Gory Horror

Day 4 (October 30): Paranormal/Supernatural Horror

Day 5 (Halloween!): Gothic Horror OR Free Day

Not on AO3? No problem. Use the tag #aahorrorfest24 on Tumblr and we'll see your work and include it in our roundups.

Take care, stay spooky, and create!

[wehangout]

Every piece of Kinktober 2024 filth for my feral friends. Thanks for all the October love 😘

🥧👊🐮🙏🗡️ 🥧👊🐮🙏🗡️ 🥧👊🐮🙏🗡️ 🥧👊🐮🙏🗡️

Day 1: Against A Wall/"God, you love it like this, don't you?" Day 2: Formal Wear/Love Bites/"Don't Make A Mess, Baby." Day 3: Anonymous Sex/"Harder." Day 4: Cream Pie/"You're so messy"/"Turn over, baby."🥧 Day 5: Deep Throat/"Oh, baby, you're drooling everywhere."🥧 Day 6: Shower/"Faster! Please, let me come!" Day 7: Bondage/"Be good for me and I'll untie you."👊 Day 8: Sex Toys/"I'm going to fucking ruin you."👊 Day 9: Overstimulation/"Keep your eyes open, look at me, baby."👊 Day 10: Fisting/"I never thought I'd hear you say that, fuck, that's hot."👊 Day 11: Leather/"I don't like getting off on my own."🐮 Day 12: Public/"We're really going to fuck here? What if someone see us?"🐮 Day 13: Tattoos/"You know, I could always get you off right here, right now." Day 14: Hate Sex/"Open your mouth for me, baby."🗡️ Day 15: Begging/"Beg for it."🙏 Day 16: Orgasm Denial/"Move an inch and you won't be coming tonight."🙏 Day 17: Edging/“I can’t- please- I can’t-”🙏 Day 18: Body Worship/"I want to see you, want to watch you come."🙏 Day 19: Sensory Deprivation/"Hands behind your back." Day 20: Knife Play/"I won't apologise for marking you up, everyone should know you're taken."🗡️ Day 21: Piercings/"You're so in for it when we get home." Day 22: Romantic Sex/"Slowly, baby, I'm not going anywhere." Day 23: Somnophilia/"You're still horny? Didn't I fuck you hard enough last night?" Day 24: Voice Kink/"Don't tease me."🗡️ Day 25: Temperature Play/"Who says I'm going to fuck you?" Day 26: Rough Sex/Choking/Breath Play/"Fucking is a reward, but you haven't been good."🗡️ Day 27: Phone Sex/"I don't want anyone else. No one else can make me feel like you do." Day 28: Gun Play/"Do you need to use your safeword, darling?" 🗡️ Day 29: Degradation/"I want it. I want to taste you." Day 30: Sexting/"Do you know what happens when you misbehave?"🗡️ Day 31: Size Kink/"Look how good you take it." 🗡️

🥧 - Series One 👊 - Series Two 🐮 - Series Three 🙏 - Series Four 🗡️ - Hitmen AU

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

1939 MSG Nazi rally

+

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

October 27, 2024

Heather Cox Richardson

Oct 28, 2024

I stand corrected. I thought this year’s October surprise was the reality that Trump’s mental state had slipped so badly he could not campaign in any coherent way. 

It turns out that the 2024 October surprise was the Trump campaign’s fascist rally at Madison Square Garden, a rally so extreme that Republicans running for office have been denouncing it all over social media tonight. 

There was never any question that this rally was going to be anything but an attempt to inflame Trump’s base. The plan for a rally at Madison Square Garden itself deliberately evoked its predecessor: a Nazi rally at the old Madison Square Garden on February 20, 1939. About 18,000 people showed up for that “true Americanism” event, held on a stage that featured a huge portrait of George Washington in his Continental Army uniform flanked by swastikas. 

Like that earlier event, Trump’s rally was supposed to demonstrate power and inspire his base to violence.  

Apparently in anticipation of the rally, Trump on Friday night replaced his signature blue suit and red tie with the black and gold of the neofascist Proud Boys. That extremist group was central to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and has been rebuilding to support Trump again in 2024. 

On Saturday the Trump campaign released a list of 29 people set to be on the stage at the rally. Notably, the list was all MAGA Republicans, including vice presidential nominee Ohio senator J.D. Vance, House speaker Mike Johnson (LA), Representative Elise Stefanik (NY), Representative Byron Donalds (FL), Trump backer Elon Musk, Trump ally Rudy Giuliani, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., right-wing host Tucker Carlson, Trump sons Don Jr. and Eric, and Eric’s wife, Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump. 

Libbey Dean of NewsNation noted that none of the seven Republicans running in New York’s competitive House races were on the list. When asked why not, according to Dean, Trump senior advisor Jason Miller said: “The demand, the request for people to speak, is quite extensive.” Asked if the campaign had turned down anyone who asked to speak, Miller said no.  

Meanwhile, the decision of the owners of the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post not to endorse Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris seems to have sparked a backlash. As Will Bunch of the Philadelphia Inquirer noted, “in a strange way the papers did perform a public service: showing American voters what life under a dictator would feel like.”

Early on October 26, the Washington Post itself went after Trump backer billionaire Elon Musk with a major story highlighting the information that Musk, an immigrant from South Africa, had worked illegally when he started his career in the U.S. Musk “did not have the legal right to work” in the U.S. when he started his first successful company. As part of the Trump campaign, Musk has emphasized his opposition to undocumented immigrants.

The New York Times has tended to downplay Trump’s outrageous statements, but on Saturday it ran a round-up of Trump’s threats in the center of the front page, above the fold. It noted that Trump has vowed to expand presidential power, prosecute his political opponents, and crack down on immigration with mass deportations and detention camps. It went on to list his determination to undermine the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), use the U.S. military against Mexican drug cartels “in potential violation of international law,” and use federal troops against U.S. citizens. It added that he plans to “upend trade” with sweeping new tariffs that will raise consumer prices, and to rein in regulatory agencies. 

“To help achieve these and other goals,” the paper concluded, “his advisers are vetting lawyers seen as more likely to embrace aggressive legal theories about the scope of his power.” 

On Sunday the front page of the New York Times opinion section read, in giant capital letters: “DONALD TRUMP/ SAYS HE WILL PROSECUTE HIS ENEMIES/ ORDER MASS DEPORTATIONS/ USE SOLDIERS AGAINST CITIZENS/ ABANDON ALLIES/ PLAY POLITICS WITH DISASTERS/ BELIEVE HIM.” And then, inside the section, the paper provided the receipts: Trump’s own words outlining his fascist plans. “BELIEVE HIM,” the paper said. 

On CNN’s State of the Union this morning, host Jake Tapper refused to permit Trump’s running mate, Ohio senator J.D. Vance, to gaslight viewers. Vance angrily denied that Trump has repeatedly called for using the U.S. military against Americans, but Tapper came with receipts that proved the very things Vance denied. 

Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden began in the early afternoon. The hateful performances of the early participants set the tone for the rally. Early on, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who goes by Kill Tony, delivered a steamingly racist set. He said, for example: “There’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.” He went on: “And these Latinos, they love making babies too. Just know that. They do. They do. There’s no pulling out. They don’t do that. They come inside. Just like they did to our country.” Hinchcliffe also talked about Black people carving watermelons instead of pumpkins. 

The speakers who followed Hinchcliffe called Vice President Kamala Harris “the Antichrist” and “the devil.” They called former secretary of state Hillary Clinton “a sick son of a b*tch,” and they railed against “f*cking illegals.” They insulted Latinos generally, Black Americans, Palestinians and Jews. Trump advisor Stephen Miller’s claim that “America is for Americans and Americans only” directly echoed the statement of Adolf Hitler that "Germany is for Germans and Germans only.” 

Trump took the stage about two hours late, prompting people to stream toward the exits before he finished speaking. He hit his usual highlights, notably undermining Vance’s argument from earlier in the day by saying that, indeed, he believes fellow Americans are “the enemy within.”  

But Trump perhaps gave away the game with his inflammatory language and with an aside, seemingly aimed at House speaker Johnson. “I think with our little secret we are gonna do really well with the House, right? Our little secret is having a big impact, he and I have a secret, we will tell you what it is when the race is over,” Trump said. 

It seems possible—probable, even—that Trump was alluding to putting in play the plan his people tried in 2020. That plan was to create enough chaos over the certification of electoral votes in the states to throw the election into the House of Representatives. There, each state delegation gets a single vote, so if the Republicans have control of more states than the Democrats, Trump could pull out a victory even if he had dramatically lost the popular vote.

Since he has made virtually no effort to win votes in 2024, this seems his likely plan. 

But to do that, he needs at least a plausibly close election, or at least to convince his supporters that the election has been stolen from him. Tonight’s rally badly hurt that plan. 

As Hinchcliffe was talking about Puerto Rico as a floating island of garbage, Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris was at a Puerto Rican restaurant in Philadelphia talking about her plan to spread her opportunity economy to Puerto Rico. She has called for strengthening Puerto Rico’s energy grid and making it easier to get permits to build there. 

After the “floating island of garbage” comment, Puerto Rican superstar musician Bad Bunny, who has more than 45 million followers on Instagram, posted Harris’s plan for Puerto Rico, and his spokesperson said he is endorsing Harris. 

Puerto Rican singer and actor Ricky Martin shared a clip from Hinchcliffe’s set with his 16 million followers. His caption read: “This is what they think of us.” Singer and actress Jennifer Lopez, who has 250 million Instagram followers, posted Harris’s plan. Later, singer-songwriter and actress Ariana Grande posted that she had voted for Harris. Grande has 376 million followers on Instagram. Singer Luis Fonsi, who has 16 million followers, also called out the “constant hate.”

The headlines were brutal. “MAGA speakers unleash ugly rhetoric at Trump's MSG rally,” read Axios. Politico wrote: “Trump’s New York homecoming sparks backlash over racist and vulgar remarks.” “Racist Remarks and Insults Mark Trump’s Madison Square Garden Rally,” the New York Times announced. “Speakers at Trump rally make racist comments, hurl insults,” read CNN.

But the biggest sign of the damage the rally did was the frantic backpedaling from Republicans in tight elections, who distanced themselves as fast as they could from the insults against Puerto Ricans, especially. The Trump campaign itself tried to distance itself from the “floating island of garbage” quotation, only to be met with comments pointing out that Hinchcliffe’s set had been vetted and uploaded to the teleprompters. 

As the clips spread like wildfire, political writer Charlotte Clymer pointed out that almost 6 million Puerto Ricans live in the states—about a million in Florida, half a million in Pennsylvania, 100,000 in Georgia, 100,000 in Michigan, 100,000 in North Carolina, 45,000 in Arizona, and 40,000 in Nevada—and that over half of them voted in 2020. 

In 1939, as about 18,000 American Nazis rallied inside Madison Square Garden, newspapers reported that a crowd of about 100,000 anti-Nazis gathered outside to protest. It took 1,700 police officers, the largest number of officers ever before detailed for a single event, to hold them back from storming the venue.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[abiiors]

𝙿𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙿𝚃𝙾𝙱𝙴𝚁 '𝟸𝟺

(one whole year since i have been doing this oh my god!!!)

hello, hello!! we're back with the autumn/spooky themed prompts 🧡 last year was so much fun and i hope it goes just as well this time??

i’m releasing this well in advance so people can decide which ones they want to plan + write etc. the fics are to be posted in the month of october 💜

anyway, i hope you guys participate again and i would absolutely love to see your fics so pls tag #promptober75 if you use these ♡︎♡︎♡︎

typed list of prompts under the cut

1] turning of the leaves 2] oktoberfest 3] bad weather 4] autumn carnival 5] family dinner 6] sweater weather 7] sweet pumpkins 8] haunted house 9] corn maze 10] folklore 11] flannel shirt 12] rain showers 13] creatures of the night 14] abandoned 15] jack o’ lanterns 16] apples 17] blood red lips 18] constellations 19] witching hour 20] movie marathon 21] bump in the night 22] under the full moon 23] caffeine overload 24] death & decay 25] witch’s brew 26] chilly mornings 27] cabin in the woods 28] matching costumes 29] beginning of the end 30] trick or treat 31] heaven & hell

(ps: i made these for me and my mutuals in the 1975 fandom but if you want to use these for other fandoms, please feel free to do so :) however i’d really appreciate if you didn’t use the promptober75 tag 🤍)

[bibururokku]

An Unofficial Comprehensive Age List of Blue Lock Characters from Oldest to Youngest

I made this because of this post I made here as a means to keep me sane, but feel free to reblog to keep it as a reference and stuff!

Oldest

Youngest

1. Buratsuta Hirotoshi — November 7th, 1957 (62) 2. Isagi Issei — May 1st, 1972 (46) 3. Isagi Iyo — January 4th, ???? (43)** 4. Bachira Yu — August 16th, 1981 (37) 5. Noel Noa — April 2nd, ???? (31)** 6. Jinpachi Ego — March 31st, ???? (30)** 7. Dada Silva — October 23rd, ???? (28)** 8. Leonardo Luna — October 31st, ???? (27)** 9. Adam Blake — September 30th, 1992 (26) 10. Pablo Cavasoz — March 7th, ???? (23)** 11. Teieri Anri — August 17th, 1996 (22) 12. Aiku Oliver — June 30th, 1999 (19) 13. Don Lorenzo — July 4th, 1999 (19) 14. Michael Kaiser — December 25th, 1999 (19)* 15. Yukimiya Kenyu — April 28th, 2000 (18) 16. Okawa Hibiki — June 12th, 2000 (18) 17. Baro Shoei — June 27th, 2000 (18) 18. Shido Ryusei — July 7th, 2000 (18) 19. Imamura Yudai — July 15th, 2000 (18) 20. Karasu Tabito — August 15th, 2000 (18) 21. Wanima Junichi — August 20th, 2000 (18) 22. Wanima Keisuke — August 20th, 2000 (18) 23. Sendo Shuto — October 7th, 2000 (18) 24. Itoshi Sae — October 10th, 2000 (18)* 25. Aryu Jyubei — November 3rd, 2000 (18)* 26. Kuon Wataru — November 16th, 2000 (18)* 27. Iemon Okuhito — November 19th, 2000 (18)* 28. Otoya Eita — December 3rd, 2000 (18)* 29. Ishikari Yukio — December 10th, 2000 (18)* 30. Gagamaru Gin — January 2nd, 2001 (18)* 31. Tokimitsu Aoshi — March 21st, 2001 (18)* 32. Nagi Seishiro — May 6th, 2001 (17) 33. Kira Ryosuke — May 23rd, 2001 (17) 34. Julian Loki — June 9th, 2001 (17) 36. Igarashi Gurimu — July 6th, 2001 (17) 37. Bachira Meguru — August 8th, 2001 (17) 38. Mikage Reo — August 12th, 2001 (17) 39. Kiyora Jin — August 31st, 2001 (17) 40. Raichi Jingo — October 11th, 2001 (17)* 41. Tsurugi Zantetsu — October 30th, 2001 (17)* 42. Hiori Yo — November 30th, 2001 (17)* 43. Chigiri Hyoma — December 23rd, 2001 (17)* 44. Kunigami Rensuke — March 11th, 2002 (17)* 46. Isagi Yoichi — April 1st, 2002 (17)* 47. Kurona Ranze — September 6th, 2002 (16) 48. Itoshi Rin — September 9th, 2002 (16) 49. Nanase Nijiro — January 1st, 2003 (16)* 50. Niko Ikki — February 5th, 2003 (16)* 51. Naruhaya Asahi — March 20th, 2003 (16)*

* As Sae has turned 18 after the Second Selection and Isagi has turned 17 sometime during or a bit before the PxG match, it can be assumed that every character with a birthday between was a year younger and has aged up to the ages currently shown on the list sometime in the series.

So basically: Michael Kaiser — December 25th, 1999 (18 → 19) Itoshi Sae — October 10th, 2000 (17 → 18) Aryu Jyubei — November 3rd, 2000 (17 → 18) Kuon Wataru — November 16th, 2000 (17 → 18) Iemon Okuhito — November 19th, 2000 (17 → 18) Otoya Eita — December 3rd, 2000 (17 → 18) Ishikari Yukio — December 10th, 2000 (17 → 18) Gagamaru Gin — January 2nd, 2001 (17 → 18) Tokimitsu Aoshi — March 21st, 2001 (17 → 18) Raichi Jingo — October 11th, 2001 (16 → 17) Tsurugi Zantetsu — October 30th, 2001 (16 → 17) Hiori Yo — November 30th, 2001 (16 → 17) Chigiri Hyoma — December 23rd, 2001 (16 → 17) Kunigami Rensuke — March 11th, 2002 (16 → 17) Isagi Yoichi — April 1st, 2002 (16 → 17) Nanase Nijiro — January 1st, 2003 (15 → 16) Niko Ikki — February 5th, 2003 (15 → 16) Naruhaya Asahi — March 20th, 2003 (15 → 16)

** The birth year and age of these characters are unknown because it is unclear whether these characters have aged into their listed ages or were these ages when introduced, so there is a chance that these ages are now off by one year. Thus, they may be either a year younger and have just turned that age or are all currently a year older because their birthdays have passed now.

In other words: Isagi Iyo — January 4th, 1975 OR 1976 (43 → 44 || 42 → 43) Noel Noa — April 2nd, 1987 OR 1988 (31 → 32 || 30 → 31) Jinpachi Ego — March 31st, 1988 OR 1989 (30 → 31 || 29 → 30) Dada Silva — October 23rd, 1989 OR 1990 (28 → 29 || 27 → 28) Leonardo Luna — October 31st, 1990 OR 1991 (27 → 28 || 26 → 27) Pablo Cavasoz — March 7th, 1995 OR 1996 (23 → 24 || 22 → 23)

Other things to keep in mind:

Blue Lock is supposed to be set in mid/late 2018, and the current events we see take place in 2019. Given that the series has an official setting and official ages with confirmed passage of time with people aging as their birthdays pass, characters should be born during the years listed above.

However, the birth years of certain adults (see above) can be iffy simply because there is a lack of information about them and the exact timeline of events occurring in the series. (E.g. it is known that Isagi turned 17 sometime around the PxG match, but it is unclear whether or not Noel Noa's birthday has also passed despite his birthday being the day after Isagi's.)

What is certain are the birth years of the U-20 players and the Blue Lock participants because U-20 players cannot be older than the maximum age of 20 in the year of the competition to qualify, so their oldest has to be born sometime in '99 to be able to play. As for the Blue Lock participants, the original 300 players were selected from a pool of high schoolers, so they have to be between 15-18, as Japan only has three years of high school, with each grade having a specific age range due to how the school year is arranged to start in April and end in March, as such, 1st years are always 15-16 years old, 2nd years are always 16-17 years old and 3rd years are always 17-18 years old, so everyone had to be born between '00-'03.

Extra things that came to mind as I wrote this:

— As it is currently April in Blue Lock, the 3rd year boys are technically graduated from high school, and the 1st and 2nd years should be the 2nd and 3rd years now. — Depending on how far into April it is, Yukimiya could be or turn 19. — The boys would be around 20-25 years old irl rn.

[dunyun-rings]

I finally put together my drawing prompt list for October! I made this for myself but I would love to see others join in, even if it’s just a few of the days. My goal is to design a fairy character for each prompt 🍁

Text version of the list is under the cut

Faetober Prompt List:

1. Turning Over a New Leaf

2. Candle-lit Reading

3. Black Cat’s Folly

4. Changing Colors

5. Barn Owl Overlook

6. Cornfield Baker

7. Stable-master of Rats

8. Apple Spice Wine

9. Secret Berry-picking

10. Dandelion Wishes

11. Queen of Gourds

12. Hiding with Rabbits

13. Lonely Cobwebs

14. Amber Foliage

15. Frolic of Death

16. Rainy Days

17. Bullfrog Rodeo

18. Fungal Underbrush

19. Dancing with Cicadas

20. Insect Funeral Director

21. Frozen Dew

22. Stirring the Stew

23. Blue Moon

24. Moth Masquerade

25. Angel of Death

26. Sickly Sweet Rot

27. Pomegranate Kisses

28. Foggy Mirror

29. The Last Harvest

30. Haunted by Crows

31. Attending the Séance

[stargyataowo]

I know there's alot of October drawing things so I made one for the bugbo Fandom !! ^_^

INTRODUCING ...

BUG-TOBER 2024 !!

Can yiu guys tell i started running out of ideas by the end...😥

IF ANYONE ENDS UP DOING THIS PLEASE USE THE TAG #bugtober2024 SO I CAN CHECK IT OUT !!

( if yiu post it on tt or twt use the same tag !! )

Typed version of the prompts below !!

1. Halloween Costume

2. Randomized Bug (use a bug generator site for this !! ^^)

3. Bug Native To You

4. Bugbo Oc

5. Invasive Bug

6. Bugsona

7. Flyswatter

8. Least Favorite Bug

9. Marketable Plushie

10. Pun ( ex : silverFISH , WOLF spider )

11. Cool Looking Bug

12. Bug You Find Outside Your House

13. Home Invading Pest ( ex : fleas , ants , flys )

14. Crossover ( bugbo ocs meeting canon chars !! )

15. Scary Bug

16. Gijinka

17. Non–Bug Bugbo Oc!!

18. Ship

19. Moth

20. Fav Non Bugbo Char Turned Into Bug

21. Colony Queen ( ex : queen bee , queen ant )

22. Underrated Bugbo Char

23. Screenshot Redraw

24. FORBUGSONLY Post

25. Bugbo Au

26. Add Bug Oc To A Bugbo Scene

27. Pretty Princess ^_^

28. Animation Meme

29. Use Opposite Media ( ex : Digital artists draw traditional , trad artists draw Digital !! )

30. Trick Or Treat

31. HAPPY HALLOWEEN !!!

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The internet is not a (link)dump truck

Monday (October 2), I'll be in Boise to host an event with VE Schwab. On October 7–8, I'm in Milan to keynote Wired Nextfest.

The second decade of the 21st century is truly a bounteous time. My backyard has produced a bumper crop of an invasive species of mosquito that is genuinely innovative: rather than confining itself to biting in the dusk and dawn golden hours, these stinging clouds of flying vampires bite at every hour that God sends:

https://themagnet.substack.com/p/the-magnet-081-war-with-mosquitoes

Here in the twilight of capitalism's planet-devouring, half-century orgy of wanton destruction, there's more news every day than I can possibly write a full blog post about every day, and as with many weeks, I have arrived at Saturday with a substantial backlog of links that didn't fit into the week's "Hey look at this" linkdumps.

Thus, the eighth installment in my ongoing, semiregular series of Saturday linkdumps:

https://pluralistic.net/tag/linkdump/

This week, the miscellany begins with the first hesitant signs of an emerging, post-neoliberal order. The FTC, under direction of the force-of-nature that is Lina Khan, has brought its long-awaited case antitrust case against Amazon. I am very excited about this. Disoriented, even.

When was the last time you greeted every day with a warm feeling because high officials in the US government were working for the betterment of every person in the land? It's enough to make one giddy. Plus, the New York Times let me call Amazon "the apex predator of our platform era"! Now that it's in the "paper of record," it's official:

https://pluralistic.net/ApexPredator

Now, lefties have been predicting capitalism's imminent demise since The Communist Manifesto, but any fule kno that the capitalist word for "crisis" also translates as "opportunity." Like the bedbugs that mutated to thrive in clouds of post-war DDT, capitalism has adapted to each crisis, emerging in a new, more virulent form:

https://boingboing.net/2023/09/30/bedbugs-take-paris.html

But "anything that can't go on forever will eventually stop" (Stein's Law). Perhaps our mistake was in waiting for capitalism to give way to socialism, rather than serving as a transitional phase between feudalism and…feudalism.

What's the difference between feudalism and capitalism? According to Yanis Varoufakis, it comes down to whether we value rents (income you get from owning things) over profits (income you get from doing things):

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/28/cloudalists/#cloud-capital

By that metric, the FTC's case against Amazon is really a case against feudalism. Through predatory pricing and acquisitions, Amazon has turned itself into a chokepoint that every merchant, writer and publisher has to pass through in order to reach their customers. Amazon charges a fortune to traverse that chokepoint (estimates range from 45% to 51% of gross revenues) and then forces sellers to raise their prices everywhere else when they hike their Amazon prices so they can afford Amazon's tolls. It's "an economy-wide hidden tax":

https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/the-ftc-sues-to-break-up-amazon-over

Now, feudalism isn't a straightforward proposition. Like, are you sure you mean feudalism? Maybe you mean "manorialism" (they're easy to mix up):

https://locusmag.com/2021/01/cory-doctorow-neofeudalism-and-the-digital-manor/

Plus, much of what we know about the "Dark Ages" comes from grifter doofuses like Voltaire, a man who was capable of dismissing the 800 year Holy Roman Empire with a single quip ("neither holy, roman, nor an empire"). But the reality is a lot more complicated, gnarly and interesting.

That's where medievalist Eleanor Janeaga comes in, and her "Against Voltaire, or, the shortest possible introduction to the Holy Roman Empire" is a banger:

https://going-medieval.com/2023/09/29/against-voltaire-or-the-shortest-possible-introduction-to-the-holy-roman-empire/

Now, while it's true that Enlightenment thinkers gave medieval times a bum rap, it's likewise true that a key element of Enlightenment justice is transparency: justice being done, and being seen to be done. One way to distinguish "modern" justice from "medieval" trials is to ask whether the public is allowed to watch the trial, see the evidence, and understand the conclusion.

Here again, there is evidence that capitalism was a transitional phase between feudalism and feudalism. The Amazon trial has already been poisoned by farcical redactions, in which every key figure is blacked out of the public record:

https://prospect.org/power/2023-09-27-redacted-case-against-amazon/

This is part of a trend. The other gigantic antitrust case underway right now, against Google, has turned into a star chamber as well, with Judge Amit P Mehta largely deferring to Google's frequent demands to close the court and seal the exhibits:

https://usvgoogle.org/trial-update-9-22

Google's rationale for this is darkly hilarious: if the public is allowed to know what's happening in its trial, this will be converted into "clickbait," which is to say, "The public is interested in this case, and if they are informed of the evidence against us, that information will be spread widely because it is so interesting":

https://www.bigtechontrial.com/p/secrecy-is-systemic

Thankfully, this secrecy is struggling to survive the public outrage it prompted. While the court's Zoom feed has been shuttered and while Judge Mehta is still all-too-willing to clear the courtroom during key testimony, at least the DoJ's exhibits aren't being sealed at the same clip as before:

https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/27/23892215/google-search-antitrust-trial-documents-public-again-judge-mehta-rules

In 2023, the world comes at you fast. There's an epic struggle over the future of corporate dominance playing out all around us. I mean, there are French antitrust enforcers kicking down doors of giant tech companies and ransacking their offices for evidence of nefarious anticompetitive plots:

https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/28/23894863/nvidia-offices-raided-french-competition-authority

As ever, the question is "socialism or barbarism." But don't say that too loud: in America, socialism is a slur, one that dates back to the Reconstruction era, when pro-slavery factions called Black voting "socialism in South Carolina."

Ever since, white nationalists used "socialism" make Americans believe that "socialism" was an "extremist" view, so they'd stand by while everyone from Joe McCarthy to Donald Trump smeared their opponents as "Marxists":

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4066499-trump-paints-2024-campaign-as-righteous-crusade/

As Heather Cox Richardson puts it for The Atlantic, "There is a long-standing fight over whether support for the modern-day right is about taxes or race. The key is that it is about taxes and race at the same time":

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/09/american-socialism-racist-origins/675453/

The cruelty isn't the point, in other words. Cruelty is the tactic. The point is power. Remember, no war but class war. All of this is in service to paying workers less so that bosses and investors can have more.

Take "essential workers," everyone from teachers to zookeepers, nurses to librarians, EMTs to daycare workers. All of these "caring" professions are paid sub-living wages, and all of these workers are told that "they matter too much to earn a living wage":

https://www.okdoomer.io/praise-doesnt-pay/

The "you matter too much to pay" mind-zap is called "vocational awe," a crucial term introduced by Ettarh Fobazi in her 2018 paper:

https://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2018/vocational-awe/

Vocational awe is how creative workers – like the writers who just won their strike and the actors who are still fighting – are conned into working at starvation wages. As the old joke goes, "What, and give up show-business?"

https://ask.metafilter.com/117904/Whats-the-joke-thas-hase-the-punchline-what-and-give-up-show-business

In this moment of Big Tech-driven, AI-based wage suppression, mass surveillance, corruption and inequality, perhaps we should take a moment to remind ourselves that cyberpunk was a warning, not a suggestion. Or, more to the point, the warning was about high-tech corporate takeover of our lives, and the suggestion was that we could seize the means of computation (a synonym for William Gibson's "the street finds its own use for things"):

http://www.seizethemeansofcomputation.org/

We are living in a lopsided cyberpunk future, long on high-tech corporate takeover, short of computation seizing. This point is made sharply in JWZ's "Dispatch From The Cyberpunk City," which is beautifully packaged as a Hypercard stack that you run on an in-browser Mac Plus emulator from the Internet Archive:

https://www.jwz.org/blog/2023/09/neuroblast-dispatch-from-the-cyberpunk-city/

Cast your gaze ahead, to the near future: Public space has all but disappeared. Corporate landlords use AI-powered robots to harass the homeless. The robots, built slick and white with an R2-D2 friendliness now most resemble giant butt plugs covered in graffiti and grime.

Science fiction doesn't have to be a warning. It can also be a wellspring of hope. That's what I tried to do with The Lost Cause, my forthcoming Green New Deal novel, which Bill McKibben called "The first great YIMBY novel":

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250865939/the-lost-cause

Writing a hopeful novel of ecological, social and economic redemption, driven by solidarity, repair, and library socialism, was a powerful tonic against despair in this smoke-smothered, flooded, mosquito-bitten time. And while the book isn't out yet, there are early indications I succeeded, like Kim Stanley Robinson's reaction, "Along with the rush of adrenaline I felt a solid surge of hope. May it go like this."

And now, we have a concurring judgment from The Library Journal, who yesterday published their review, which concludes: "a thought-provoking story, with a message of hope in a near-future that looks increasingly bleak":

https://www.libraryjournal.com/review/the-lost-cause-2196385

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/30/mesclada/#melange