#34 percent

[am-i-sans]

cmon man.

why would tori stoop so low to be with you?

quit kidding yourself.

and the kid

they will ALWAYS fear you.

why do you have to get involved?

I

.....

shut up.

[weezerlvr228]

why he so mysterious…

demur

[terrainofheartfelt]

how do u think each main gg character would feel about barbenheimer?

well there was such discussion on the discord, and it was agreed that Serena 'shoulda been a film major' 'interned for david o russell' van der Woodsen would be sooooooooooooo into oppenheimer. and ms blair waldorf has multiple outfits planned for barbie. nate and vanessa would be extremely into a barbenheimer double feature, and they would drag Dan to both films plus a dinner/cocktail hour/weed in between. jenny and eric would do a whole day where they go barbie->oppenheimer->barbie.

[night-zaveri]

Kindra wins!!

No one knows much about Kindra Rosdahl because there isn't very much to know. Born in Sweden somewhere in the mid to late 1500s, she was raised as a peasant boy with very little knowledge about anything outside of her town. Raised by her sister, she lived near the coast and was charged with keeping an eye on the sheep.

When Kindra was about 18, Death mistook her for a spirit that had escaped fate and trapped her within the void before realizing she was human. But once something enters the void by Death's hand, it cannot leave. Seeing as Kindra was not technically dead, Death worked with the void to create and area where she could spend eternity in peace, and not be threatened by the shadows.

During that time, the void began to cling to Kindra's body in an attempt to assimilate her spirit. While the void was unsuccessful, it left living scars on her body that often move on their own volition and slightly distorted her body, causing her to go from 5'5 to around 7'0 with elongated limbs.

She met the rest of the group on accident; when Mathayus got into an argument, and while storming out closed the portal too soon and ended up in the void - as the void is the area that exists between realms. Kindra, not knowing how long she'd been alone for, and Mathayus, looking for an outlet, started talking. From there, he started to visit her, and even worked out a less dangerous way for him and his family to enter the void.

[cashewally-sarcastic]

to the professors who are making all their textbooks digital access books that students can't keep, sell, or try to find used for cheaper, I hope you die very painfully

[acourtofquestions]

New theory: Bryce is Starborn. It’s why the Oracle goes blind, her future is that bright. It’s “Light it up” (literally)

[character-of-all-time]

it. actually isnt. i dont even kno how to do that shit (i think they fixed the bug that made poll editing easy anyway?) woulda been funny but im too dumb for that. this is pure teamwork babes!!!

as proof heres from earlier before it was fixed again:

and if you watch closely enough you might catch it get skewed again but. thus far tumblr has been VERY fast at fixing it.

ROUND 1: NINA TUCKER (fullmetal alchemist) VS ALEXANDER TUCKER (Fullmetal Alchemist!)

[travellhq]

The 10 Best Comfy Travel Pants at Amazon for Long Flights, Hiking, and Beyond — All Under $50

  Stock Up on Comfortable Travel Pants for Your Next Adventure

While booking your flight Travell and accommodations is essential, nothing compares to the significance of wearing a comfortable outfit on travel day. Imagine being stuck in ill-fitting, uncomfortable pants while rushing through TSA—definitely not ideal. Luckily, Amazon offers a plethora of comfortable, travel-friendly pants.

With so many fantastic options available, it can be overwhelming to choose the best pair. To help, I spent hours sifting through hundreds of options to bring you the top 10 travel pants on Amazon. These selections are perfect for car rides, hiking, or even heading straight to dinner from the plane. The best part? They’re all under $50.

My Travel Hack for Comfort and Style: Amazon Matching Sets

Anrabess Women's Linen Palazzo Pants

Linen is my go-to fabric for warm weather, thanks to its moisture-wicking properties and breathable feel. This best-selling pair of linen blend pants from Amazon features a flattering smocked waist and wide-leg design for extra comfort. Available in 23 different colors, including almond and baby blue, and sizes ranging from small to 2XL, these pants are a must-have.

Linen is my go-to fabric for warm weather, thanks to its moisture-wicking properties and breathable feel. This best-selling pair of linen blend pants from Amazon features a flattering smocked waist and wide-leg design for extra comfort. Available in 23 different colors, including almond and baby blue, and sizes ranging from small to 2XL, these pants are a must-have.

Kingfen Women’s Linen Drawstring Shorts

For the hottest days, linen-blend shorts are a necessity. This pair features an elastic waistband and a breathable, roomy shape for all-day comfort. Shoppers rave about them being "perfect for summer" due to their lightweight feel travell and ideal length.

[objection-u-a-bitch]

I know I tend to react harshly to dumb anons and I'm certainly not advocating to go in anyone's inbox anonymously to harrass them, but so far there's not been anything I can't handle and frankly I take a weird sort of pleasure in seeing other people being dumb. It makes me feel better about myself. I may have dropped out of college and spend my days in a tired and pained haze in which I get nothing done ever but at least I'm not the person anonymously trying to convince the guy whose main stance online is "don't be a dick to men for no good reason" that actually you should be allowed to be a dick to men for no good reason.

How could that NOT be a confidence boost, y'know?

[jelreth]

completed an assignment :)

[pcktknife]

These are messages I recently received from Ahmed (@/zinaanqar)

In Gaza, life is not just life, it’s a daily struggle for survival. Imagine being a father trying to provide the bare necessities for your family while trapped in a place that imposes impossible choices. For Ahmed this is his reality, a father of three children and an infant born amidst the tragedy of war, living in Gaza and facing an endless battle to secure the essentials.

Every week, it takes $650 just for Ahmed to acquire a modest amount of vegetables, a carton of eggs, and a kilogram of meat. While this amount might seem sufficient to some, in Gaza it barely covers their basic needs. His little daughter, Ronza, requires diapers and milk - the cost of diapers alone is $80, while two cans of milk amount to $27.40. These are simple necessities, but they come at a hefty price in a place where the siege has skyrocketed prices.

The hardest decision? Ahmed cannot meet all their needs. Between buying food and caring for his infant, he has to make choices, each one leaving him with feelings of guilt and anxiety about what comes next. Additionally, Ahmed cannot obtain cash in hand due to a lack of liquidity and the closure of banks in the country. Even when liquidity is available, he pays a 20 to 30 percent fee to access the funds needed to provide for his family.

But his story is not just about needs; it’s about the courage of a father facing an unimaginable ordeal. He is a voice calling for hope in a place where it is scarce. Your support, whether by sharing his story or offering any help, can be the light of hope that brightens this family's life in the darkest of circumstances.

€75,181 / €100,000

[probablyasocialecologist]

During the first six months of the current war on Gaza, the Israeli military destroyed about 60 percent of the Strip’s cultural heritage sites and monuments. This toll includes the Bronze Age settlement of Tell el-‘Ajjul, the St. Hilarion monastery founded nearly 1,700 years ago, and Pasha’s Palace built in the 13th century and used recently as an archaeological museum. According to many Palestinian and civil rights organizations, this destruction is deliberate. I’m an archaeologist living in the West Bank who has written about cultural heritage destruction and antiquities looting. I serve as the secretary general of the International Council on Monuments and Sites–Palestine and of the Society for Palestinian Archaeology. Over 34 years, I have conducted several research projects and interviewed hundreds of Palestinians involved in illegal looting, trading, and trafficking of ancient objects. The losses unfolding now in Palestine, however, are unprecedented in scale and speed. International agreements enshrine the protection of cultural heritage and recognize its destruction as a war crime. But agencies responsible for policing these agreements have been conspicuously and inexcusably absent from the current conflict. No doubt protecting historical monuments and archaeological sites is challenging amid a war, and humanitarian efforts should prioritize saving lives. Yet UNESCO and other heritage organizations have tools and tactics to deter the destruction of cultural assets in conflict zones. Why, then, are these organizations neglecting to protect cultural heritage in Palestine?

[...]

According to Resolution 242, passed by the United Nations Security Council in 1967, the Palestinian territories, which include the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, are under occupation. As the occupying power, Israel must take necessary measures to safeguard and protect the cultural and natural heritage of the Palestinian territories. During its 2023–2024 assault on Gaza, Israel has been credibly accused of doing the opposite: systematically destroying Gaza’s cultural heritage as part of its broader genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. As of February, Israeli forces have destroyed at least 200 archaeological sites and buildings of cultural and historical significance in the Gaza Strip, according to a report from the Palestinian Ministry of Culture.

6 June 2024

[thepeacepigeon]

The 4B Movement: How South Korean women are leaving the patriarchy behind 

(Getty Images)

In 2016, a 34-year-old man named Kim Sung-min waited inside a unisex restroom outside exit 10 of Gangnam Station, Seoul South Korea. Six different men came and exited through the restroom over the span of an hour, until a 23-year-old woman entered, and Kim proceeded to stab and kill her with a 12-inch-long sushi knife. In court, Kim stated, “I did it because women have always ignored me.” Kim’s actions and thoughts are not out of the ordinary amongst Korean men—violence against women is extremely common in South Korea. 

(BBC)

South Korea has a long record of female subjugation. Between 1953 and 2021, abortion was illegal in almost all circumstances, and current law allows a woman to get an abortion only if she has consent from a male relative or her boyfriend/husband/partner. A 2015 South Korean government survey revealed that almost 80% of women had been sexually harassed at work. A survey released by The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family found that 57.8 percent of women felt vulnerable to misogynistic violence. Digital crime and sexual harassment are extremely common— “molka”, up-skirt photos, and secret cameras hidden in restrooms are rampant, so much so that any cellphone purchased in South Korea has a mandatory chime when photos are taken. The World Economic Forum’s 2022 Global Gender Gap Index ranks South Korea at number 99 out of 146 countries for gender equality. Legislation actively works against women trying to report sexual assault. Men accused of stalking or harassment can “ask” their victims to drop charges, and in 2022 a man murdered his former colleague after she refused to drop charges against him for stalking her since 2019. South Korea has the highest gender pay gap of all the OECD countries—the top wealthiest 37 countries, globally, with women earning on average a third less than men. These alarming statistics have come years after the “Gangnam Station” murder, and South Korean women continue to be targeted for their gender.

(Jung Yeon-Je/AFP via Getty Images)

Despite Kim’s own testimony, government authorities explicitly denied the misogynistic motive, and the prosecution announced that the case was not being investigated as a hate crime. Kim was eventually sentenced to 30 years in prison. In response to the murder, women took to the streets outside Gangnam station and the surrounding areas in protest. The women, many of whom had never considered themselves feminists or activists, but the nature of the crime and the misogynistic motivation, as well as the court's refusal to acknowledge it, outranged them. The murder incited intense debates about misogyny within the country, and the gender inequities women faced both socially and economically. Five months after the murder, Cho Nam-Joo’s novel Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 was published. The book devastatingly details an everyday woman’s daily experiences of nonstop sexism, inequality, and misogyny in contemporary South Korea, and served as another enraging eye-opener that would develop into what would become known as the 4B Movement. 

The four B’s (or “Four No’s”) of the movement represent the four major components that women of the movement are rejecting; Bisekseu (sex), Bichulsan (child-bearing), Biyeonae, (dating) and Bihon (marriage). South Korean feminists define the 4B movement not as a fight against the patriarchy, but a complete step away from it— leaving it behind. In 2017, the Escape the Corset campaign swept across the country. The word “corset” is used by Korean feminists as a metaphor for the societal mechanisms that control and repress women, for example, the extreme and toxic beauty standards. Both 4B and Escape the Corset condemn and reject the influence that beauty holds within every aspect of South Korean life. Pioneers such as feminist author Cho Nam-Joo, and photographer Jeon Bo-ra, who photographed women who shaved their heads in rebellion. Social media has played a large role in the 4B movement, with bloggers and beauty influencers like Lina Bae speaking up against unattainable beauty standards and societal pressures, and Summer Lee who was inspired to cut her hair, throw away her hyperfeminine clothes, and post pictures of herself without makeup. 

(Jean Chung/Getty Images)

Despite increasing conversation on women’s rights, feminism is still considered a taboo, contentious, or even “dirty” word for many South Koreans. It is often associated with “man-hating” and perceived as overly aggressive. The country's current president Yoon Suk-yeol has promised to close down the South Korean Ministry of Gender Equility and Family, and any other organizations that fund or support women and victims of sexual violence, claiming they “treat men like potential sex criminals”. A January 2023 article in the South Korean newspaper The Sisa Times reported that 65% of women in the country do not want children, 42% do not want to get married, and over 80% of those cite domestic violence as their key reason. As a result, concerns regarding the rising average population age and declining birth rate in South Korea have increased greatly. The country's birth rate is less than one per woman as of 2021, and the country saw less than 200,000 marriages. In recent years, the South Korean government has commissioned a number of soap operas and reality TV shows to promote an idyllic view of romantic heterosexual love, and to encourage marriage and reproduction. 

(Yonhap)

The 4B movement and Escape the Corset campaign have had a tremendous impact on the way young South Korean women view the countries cultural grip on women’s appearances and lives. Between 2015-2016 and 2017-2018, Korean women spent over 5 billion Korean Won less on beauty products and cosmetic surgeries, instead investing their money in cars and choosing independence over objectification. The movement is calling for boycotts of any business that uses sexist advertising, and encouraging women to eat at women-owned restaurants, drink in women-owned bars, and shop at women-owned stores—women’s money goes into the pockets of other women. Women’s universities have also been on the rise in South Korea, with most cities housing one or several women-only institutions. Similarly, women’s only spaces have begun to expand, women’s parking spots closer to entrances and exits in parking garages, women’s only hotel floors and common rooms, and women’s only subway cars. These spaces allow feminism to spread and flourish, and give Korean women the ability to find community with other women without the interference of men. 

(Ian Baldessari/CityLab)

Since 2016, Exit 10 of Gangnam Station has become a symbolic site for South Korean feminism. The South Korean feminist movement developed out of particularly misogynist conditions within their country. The 4B movement represents a radical way that women have sought to create an online and offline world devoid of men—rather than engaging in arguments and altercations, they simply refuse to interact with men in every aspect of their lives. These actions have had a profound impact on the functionality of South Korean society and have opened an uncloseable door too the discussion of women’s rights. 

McCurry, Justin. “Calls for Stalking Law Overhaul in South Korea as Woman’s Murder Shocks Nation.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 23 Sept. 2022, www.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/23/calls-for-stalking-law-overhaul-in-south-korea-as-womans-shocks-nation.

Teehan, Katie. “What Is the 4B Movement?” Service95, 16 Apr. 2024, www.service95.com/4b-movement-explainer/.

Izaakson , Jen, and Tae Kyung Kim. “The South Korean Women’s Movement: ‘We Are Not Flowers, We Are a Fire.’” Feminist Current, 16 June 2020, www.feministcurrent.com/2020/06/15/the-south-korean-womens-movement-we-are-not-flowers-we-are-a-fire/.

Lee, Min Joo. “Why so Many South Korean Women Are Refusing to Date, Marry or Have Kids.” Yahoo! News, Yahoo!, 15 May 2023, news.yahoo.com/why-many-south-korean-women-123250959.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAHmBVorK4v6bdzwcJMRyRdXkKtzUlpQYWn5Ot-BPzs-YRNNZFW5JBwC65OTaPrRImn3F3G56r0gfNydadUzlQtPS61hOi6uggk_OkwZqqvLvS-YN4HbPrpwKvK9_7g0e9yqu9fiRRvOVJkGRv__L7AZGoYtfHVxjKLLPDi9DI2fu.

Park, Seohoi Stephanie. “Murder at Gangnam Station: A Year Later.” KOREA EXPOSÉ, 2 Mar. 2023, koreaexpose.com/murder-gangnam-station-year-later/.

Dockeray, Hannah. “Why Some South Korean Women Are Rejecting Beauty.” Sky News, 14 July 2021, news.sky.com/story/plastic-surgery-south-korea-faces-beauty-backlash-11871654.

[zvaigzdelasas]

The 2024 Chicago Council Survey, conducted June 21–July 1, 2024, finds a majority of Americans are now opposed to using US troops to defend Israel if it is attacked.

An overall 42 percent of the US public would favor using US troops to defend Israel if it were attached by Iran (56% oppose). While a slim majority of Republicans would favor US forces defending Israel in this scenario (53%), only four in 10 Independents (42%) and third of Democrats (34%) agree. [...]

The one instance presented to Americans where a majority (54%) would still favor using US troops is in a peacekeeping scenario if Israel and the Palestinians reached a peace agreement. Democrats (62%) are most willing of all the partisans to use US troops in a peacekeeping manner, consistent with previous polling. About half of Independents (51%) and Republicans (48%) agree.

6 Aug 24

[robertreich]

Should Billionaires Exist? 

Do billionaires have a right to exist?

America has driven more than 650 species to extinction. And it should do the same to billionaires.

Why? Because there are only five ways to become one, and they’re all bad for free-market capitalism:

1. Exploit a Monopoly.

Jamie Dimon is worth $2 billion today… but not because he succeeded in the “free market.” In 2008, the government bailed out his bank JPMorgan and other giant Wall Street banks, keeping them off the endangered species list.

This government “insurance policy” scored these struggling Mom-and-Pop megabanks an estimated $34 billion a year.

But doesn’t entrepreneur Jeff Bezos deserve his billions for building Amazon?

No, because he also built a monopoly that’s been charged by the federal government and 17 states for inflating prices, overcharging sellers, and stifling competition like a predator in the wild.

With better anti-monopoly enforcement, Bezos would be worth closer to his fair-market value.

2. Exploit Inside Information

Steven A. Cohen, worth roughly $20 billion headed a hedge fund charged by the Justice Department with insider trading “on a scale without known precedent.” Another innovator!

Taming insider trading would level the investing field between the C Suite and Main Street.

3.  Buy Off Politicians

That’s a great way to become a billionaire! The Koch family and Koch Industries saved roughly $1 billion a year from the Trump tax cut they and allies spent $20 million lobbying for. What a return on investment!

If we had tougher lobbying laws, political corruption would go extinct.

4. Defraud Investors

Adam Neumann conned investors out of hundreds of millions for WeWork, an office-sharing startup. WeWork didn’t make a nickel of profit, but Neumann still funded his extravagant lifestyle, including a $60 million private jet. Not exactly “sharing.”

Elizabeth Holmes was convicted of fraud for her blood-testing company, Theranos. So was Sam Bankman-Fried of crypto-exchange FTX. Remember a supposed billionaire named Donald Trump? He was also found to have committed fraud.

Presumably, if we had tougher anti-fraud laws, more would be caught and there’d be fewer billionaires to preserve.

5. Get Money From Rich Relatives

About 60 percent of all wealth in America today is inherited.

That’s because loopholes in U.S. tax law —lobbied for by the wealthy — allow rich families to avoid taxes on assets they inherit. And the estate tax has been so defanged that fewer than 0.2 percent of estates have paid it in recent years.

Tax reform would disrupt the circle of life for the rich, stopping them from automatically becoming billionaires at their birth, or someone else’s death.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not arguing against big rewards for entrepreneurs and inventors. But do today’s entrepreneurs really need billions of dollars? Couldn’t they survive on a measly hundred million?

Because they’re now using those billions to erode American institutions. They spent fortunes bringing Supreme Court justices with them into the wild.They treated news organizations and social media platforms like prey, and they turned their relationships with politicians into patronage troughs.

This has created an America where fewer than ever can become millionaires (or even thousandaires) through hard work and actual innovation.

If capitalism were working properly, billionaires would have gone the way of the dodo.

[evidence-based-activism]

!!!!!! For everyone who hasn’t always seen this article !!!!!!

Some choice quotes:

The bill sailed through the Louisiana House 96-1 and the State Senate 34-0

Nearly identical bills have passed in six other states — Arkansas, Montana, Mississippi, Utah, Virginia and Texas — by similarly lopsided margins. In Utah and Arkansas, the bills passed unanimously.

According to Ethical Capital Partners, the private equity company that owns Pornhub, traffic in Louisiana has dropped 80 percent.

In the other three states where the laws have been in effect for months — Utah, Mississippi, and Virginia — Pornhub did something even more unprecedented: It simply stopped operating. (Note: this also happened in Arkansas.)

Not only have six states passed copycat legislation, but 16 more have introduced similar or nearly identical bills. (Note: link is to a bill tracker with the free speech coalition, a pro-pornography “trade association”…the list in one place is still useful though.)

This is amazing!