#FREE ME FROM THIS EDUCATION PRISON

[queenboimler]

i think i've hit the point where I'm contemplating changing careers because this fucking law degree is taking too damn long!!!!!!!!

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Prison-tech company bribed jails to ban in-person visits

I'm on tour with my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me in BOSTON with Randall "XKCD" Munroe (Apr 11), then PROVIDENCE (Apr 12), and beyond!

Beware of geeks bearing gifts. When prison-tech companies started offering "free" tablets to America's vast army of prisoners, it set off alarm-bells for prison reform advocates – but not for the law-enforcement agencies that manage the great American carceral enterprise.

The pitch from these prison-tech companies was that they could cut the costs of locking people up while making jails and prisons safer. Hell, they'd even make life better for prisoners. And they'd do it for free!

These prison tablets would give every prisoner their own phone and their own video-conferencing terminal. They'd supply email, of course, and all the world's books, music, movies and games. Prisoners could maintain connections with the outside world, from family to continuing education. Sounds too good to be true, huh?

Here's the catch: all of these services are blisteringly expensive. Prisoners are accustomed to being gouged on phone calls – for years, prisons have done deals with private telcos that charge a fortune for prisoners' calls and split the take with prison administrators – but even by those standards, the calls you make on a tablet are still a ripoff.

Sure, there are some prisoners for whom money is no object – wealthy people who screwed up so bad they can't get bail and are stewing in a county lockup, along with the odd rich murderer or scammer serving a long bid. But most prisoners are poor. They start poor – the cops are more likely to arrest poor people than rich people, even for the same crime, and the poorer you are, the more likely you are to get convicted or be suckered into a plea bargain with a long sentence. State legislatures are easy to whip up into a froth about minimum sentences for shoplifters who steal $7 deodorant sticks, but they are wildly indifferent to the store owner's rampant wage-theft. Wage theft is by far the most costly form of property crime in America and it is almost entirely ignored:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/15/wage-theft-us-workers-employees

So America's prisons are heaving with its poorest citizens, and they're certainly not getting any richer while they're inside. While many prisoners hold jobs – prisoners produce $2b/year in goods and $9b/year in services – the average prison wage is $0.52/hour:

https://www.dollarsandsense.org/archives/2024/0324bowman.html

(In six states, prisoners get nothing; North Carolina law bans paying prisoners more than $1/day, the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution explicitly permits slavery – forced labor without pay – for prisoners.)

Likewise, prisoners' families are poor. They start poor – being poor is a strong correlate of being an American prisoner – and then one of their breadwinners is put behind bars, taking their income with them. The family savings go to paying a lawyer.

Prison-tech is a bet that these poor people, locked up and paid $1/day or less; or their families, deprived of an earner and in debt to a lawyer; will somehow come up with cash to pay $13 for a 20-minute phone call, $3 for an MP3, or double the Kindle price for an ebook.

How do you convince a prisoner earning $0.52/hour to spend $13 on a phone-call?

Well, for Securus and Viapath (AKA Global Tellink) – a pair of private equity backed prison monopolists who have swallowed nearly all their competitors – the answer was simple: they bribed prison officials to get rid of the prison phones.

Not just the phones, either: a pair of Michigan suits brought by the Civil Rights Corps accuse sheriffs and the state Department of Corrections of ending in-person visits in exchange for kickbacks from the money that prisoners' families would pay once the only way to reach their loved ones was over the "free" tablets:

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/03/jails-banned-family-visits-to-make-more-money-on-video-calls-lawsuits-claim/

These two cases are just the tip of the iceberg; Civil Rights Corps says there are hundreds of jails and prisons where Securus and Viapath have struck similar corrupt bargains:

https://civilrightscorps.org/case/port-huron-michigan-right2hug/

And it's not just visits and calls. Prison-tech companies have convinced jails and prisons to eliminate mail and parcels. Letters to prisoners are scanned and delivered their tablets, at a price. Prisoners – and their loved ones – have to buy virtual "postage stamps" and pay one stamp per "page" of email. Scanned letters (say, hand-drawn birthday cards from your kids) cost several stamps:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/14/minnesota-nice/#shitty-technology-adoption-curve

Prisons and jails have also been convinced to eliminate their libraries and continuing education programs, and to get rid of TVs and recreational equipment. That way, prisoners will pay vastly inflated prices for streaming videos and DRM-locked music.

The icing on the cake? If the prison changes providers, all that data is wiped out – a prisoner serving decades of time will lose their music library, their kids' letters, the books they love. They can get some of that back – by working for $1/day – but the personal stuff? It's just gone.

Readers of my novels know all this. A prison-tech scam just like the one described in the Civil Rights Corps suits is at the center of my latest novel The Bezzle:

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250865878/thebezzle

Prison-tech has haunted me for years. At first, it was just the normal horror anyone with a shred of empathy would feel for prisoners and their families, captive customers for sadistic "businesses" that have figured out how to get the poorest, most desperate people in the country to make them billions. In the novel, I call prison-tech "a machine":

a million-­armed robot whose every limb was tipped with a needle that sank itself into a different place on prisoners and their families and drew out a few more cc’s of blood.

But over time, that furious empathy gave way to dread. Prisoners are at the bottom of the shitty technology adoption curve. They endure the technological torments that haven't yet been sanded down on their bodies, normalized enough to impose them on people with a little more privilege and agency. I'm a long way up the curve from prisoners, but while the shitty technology curve may grind slow, it grinds fine:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/02/24/gwb-rumsfeld-monsters/#bossware

The future isn't here, it's just not evenly distributed. Prisoners are the ultimate early adopters of the technology that the richest, most powerful, most sadistic people in the country's corporate board-rooms would like to force us all to use.

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/2024/04/02/captive-customers/#guillotine-watch

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[wosoandstuff]

For those of you who are foreign and commenting on the supposed "socialism"/ "communism" in Venezuela, let me set the record straight: Your opinions are uninformed and offensive.

You have no idea what it's like to live under a dictatorship that systematically violates human rights, suppresses free thought, imprisons good people and have your future stolen from you.

Just hours ago, the dictator announced plans to build massive prisons to 're-educate' those who dissent, which is nothing more than a thinly veiled threat of concentration camps.

This is straight out of the N*zi playbook.

Before you comment on Venezuela, please educate yourself on the reality of the situation.

So, if you still believe this is all some elaborate scheme by the US to steal our oil (BREAKING NEWS: CHINA, RUSSIA, AND IRAN ARE ALREADY DOING THAT), let me tell you this: Coman mierda.

[dix0nspretty]

Knives, Bikes, and Stitches, Oh My!

Summary: Daryl is working on his motorcycle and you watch. Too bad you can't keep your focus.

Daryl Dixon x F!Reader, 1.3k words

Era: Prison (again) because he's just so yummy...

TW: Mention of blood and stitches. Maybe chronic horniness?

Y'all loved my first story and I hope this one whets your appetites just as well! I have no idea how motorcycles or vehicles of literally any kind work, so please feel free to educate me in the comments.

You put the fear of God in Daryl every time he sees you with a knife.

It’s not that you can’t use one. On the contrary, you’re a force to be reckoned with when you’re fighting. Sometimes all that can be seen of you in a fight is the shine of blood-tinged metal as you slash and stab at whatever is attacking with your twin blades. No, your knives are comfortable and at home in your grip. Maybe too comfortable.

“How many times I got to tell ya to stop eatin’ off yer damn knife?” Daryl’s rough accent sounds out in the empty courtyard. His head is bowed low as he works on his bike, not looking up as he speaks.

I’m perched on the tabletop of one of the prison’s picnic tables eating a can of peaches. Daryl, for some reason unknown to me, had elected to start taking his bike apart and putting it back together and I followed along to watch the process. I don’t know shit about vehicles, much less motorcycles, but I like spending time with the grumpy man.

“It’s fine, I’m not gonna cut myself.” I tell him as I tilt my head down to drag a slice of peach off the blade. Daryl’s eyes don’t move from the work in front of him, but I can feel him watching me. I pull the chunk into my mouth and lick the blade clean of the sticky juice.

“Told ya to cut it out.” I’m eating the canned fruit haphazardly, not paying any attention to how close I am to the edge. Daryl shakes his head. He knows it’s a matter of time before I cut my lip or tongue.

At his repeated command, I roll my eyes but pull away from the edge of my knife. I set the can of peaches down and watch him. His brown hair is getting longer now and it’s sliding down into his eyes, shielding most of his face from my watchful gaze.

“What are you doing, anyways?” I ask. I scoot myself closer to the edge of the table and peer down over his shoulder. He has one of his tools in his hand and some pieces of metal I can’t identify. It is roughly the size of my fist and cylindrical. Whatever it is, it looks important.

Daryl glances over his shoulder, feeling my curious eyes looking down. He huffs and continues his task. “Workin’.”

“No shit. Working on what?” I’m playing with my knife in my fingers, absentmindedly twisting and flipping it. Daryl looks up at me through his hair, squinting one eye against the sunlight. My breath catches in my throat, and I try to play it cool.

“Do ya really want to know or are ya jus’ bored?” He asks in his gruff voice. I don’t answer for a second. He looks so pretty. Get a grip, Y/N, I think to myself.

“Really want to know. Come on, I don’t know anything about bikes. Teach me something.” Daryl squints at me for several seconds longer and I’m convinced he’s going to send me inside to bother someone else, but he slowly starts talking.

“’M cleanin’ the carburetor.” He tilts his hand up to show me the same piece I was looking at earlier. “It’s startin’ to get clogged.”

“Oooookay. What’s that do?”

“It keeps the engine runnin’ smooth, basically. Don’t keep it clear and that can fuck up the bike, make it stall or overheat. Gotta take it apart and clean it every few months.”

Daryl lets me watch over his shoulder as he points out different parts of the carburetor and how to clean them. After a few minutes, his gruff voice starts to fade out and my mind begins to wander.

He just looks so good. His hands are greasy and dirty from all of his work today and his biceps are sweaty from the Georgia heat. He’s wearing one of his simple black shirts that already fit him so well and the sweat is only making him look more delicious. I’m watching his hands work over the small brass jets when I feel burning heat in my palm and look down.

I’d been messing with my knife the entire time and cut myself. I instinctively let go of the blade and it hits the concrete with a harsh clang. Daryl’s head lifts at the noise and he spins around right as I rush to tuck both hands behind my back. I look like a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar and I’m trying to hide the chocolatey evidence. Except this time, it’s blood.

Daryl’s eyes run over me for a second, then flick down to my knife as it sits on the dirty floor. He slowly bends down and picks it up. “Y/N.” He starts, a low warning in his tone.

“It’s fine! I’m fine, I just dropped it.” My voice rambles out. There’s a high, nervous note to it and I’m hoping to God he doesn’t notice.

He raises an eyebrow. “If yer fine, why’s the knife got fresh blood on it?” Fuck.

“Uhhhhh.” I look around the courtyard, trying to find an excuse. I, naturally, see nothing. “Magic?”

Daryl huffs and crosses his arms. “Let me see your hands.”

I wince. I don’t want to get in trouble, but I can feel the blood dripping off my hand, and it stings. The longer I hold off showing him the angrier he’ll get.

“Y/N. Hand, now.” Daryl’s voice leaves no room for arguments.

“Jus’, don’t be mad?” I ask. He says nothing and I sigh, then slowly move my hands back in front of me. The blood is quickly evident on my skin.

“God damn it, girl. Why can’t ya ever listen to me?” Despite his rough tone, his hands are gentle as he takes my wrist and tilts my hand, inspecting the damage. I risk a glance at my hand. There’s a slash across my entire palm and more blood than there should be. It’s going to need stitches.

“Ya need stitches.” Told you.

 Daryl looks up from my hand but doesn’t let go of my wrist. His eyes lock with mine and he gives me a warm look. There’s exasperation and concern and I don’t know what to do with it. He takes a surprisingly clean rag from his pocket and ties it around my bleeding palm, firmly but not enough to hurt.

I can’t help but be surprised by just how gentle he’s being with me. I was expecting a pop in the side of the head and a banishment to Hershel’s cell. I look up at him through my lashes, waiting for my verbal lashing. After almost a minute, I realize there is none.

“Does this mean I gotta go in now?” I try to keep the potential disappointment from my voice and don’t entirely succeed.

“Yeah, yer going to go get those stitches. Ya weren’t listenin’ anyways.” He grumbles at me. “The hell were you doin’?”

I look away from him. I do not want to explain that I was too busy being horny over him to notice that I gouged my palm open. I risk a glance at him and I’m caught by those ocean-blue eyes.

“I was watching your hands…”

Daryl pauses, then snorts. “Maybe instead of watchin’ my hands ya should’ve been watching yours. Go get your damn stitches and I’ll show ya somethin’ else.”

[sinkableruby]

luffy doesn't have a tumblr but there's a 500k note post about him from one of the crew that does (going with robin)

YEAAHHHH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH THATS PERFECT THATS EXACTLY TRUE

ahem

📚 devilish-archeologist79 Follow

Today officially marks the day my friend has been permanently banned from one thousand restaurants. He's very unhappy about it, but I couldn't be more proud of him. It takes dedication to achieve something like that.

🐬 nauticalradical Follow

There's no way he got banned from 1000 separate restaurants come on at least make it believable

📚 devilish-archeologist79 Follow

No, it really was a thousand, if I'm counting properly. He's always hungry, so he's always looking for new places to eat at, but whenever he finds one he orders so much food that they usually run out of ingredients and the chefs and other customers get upset. Then he tries to pay the bill with his "treasure tab," which is basically money he doesn't have yet but plans on getting in the future.

🍐 eating-all-your-pears Follow

UHH I THINK THAT'S JUST CALLED STEALING???

📚 devilish-archeologist79 Follow

Normally I would agree, but to him it's not. He still intends to pay all of them back, and he thinks all the restaurant owners are being stingy for not letting him back in.

👹 houseoftwigs Follow

OP I'd like to study your friend in a lab

📚 devilish-archeologist79 Follow

I'm already studying him, so you can't.

⚓ marine-triologist789 Follow

Wait, hold on, something doesn't add up here. If he really didn't pay for any of those meals, wouldn't he have been arrested by now??? Like, you can't just go to a bunch of restaurants, eat all their food, not pay, and then not get arrested for it, right?? Am I crazy???

📚 devilish-archeologist79 Follow

The police have been after him for a long time now, but he's really good at evading them. He actually broke into prison once to bust his brother out and they still couldn't catch him, which is honestly embarrassing, in my opinion.

🐸 froghopper47 Follow

WHAT

🧊 tumdruh Follow

✌ be-free-drink-piss Follow

WHAT A FUCKING LEGEND

📚 devilish-archeologist79 Follow

He had to go into hiding after that, though, or they really might have caught him. When he saw me again for the first time in 2 years, the first words he spoke directly to me were "do you have any meat?"

🌵 spicegirl Follow

SOMEONE FEED THIS MAN

👗 superdress Follow

this dude isa fucking alien who the fuck walks up to someone and asks them for meat straight up

📚 devilish-archeologist79 Follow

He really likes meat.

🌪 the-windsmeth Follow

"average person has a carbon footprint of 4 tons per year" factoid is actually just a statistical error. Meat Menace, who eats 10,000 pounds of meat each day, is an outlier and should not have been counted

📚 devilish-archeologist79 Follow

He might actually eat that much in a day. I wouldn't be surprised. His stomach is probably bottomless. Maybe it's for the best that he can't go to restaurants anymore.

🐩 yaarrrrp Follow

🏴‍☠️ piratelover69 Follow

op is there anything else we should know about this guy????

📚 devilish-archeologist79 Follow

Not really. He did grow up in the woods, though.

🏴‍☠️ piratelover69 Follow

HELLO?? IS HE OKAY???

📚 devilish-archeologist79 Follow

He's fine. Also, he doesn't know what sex is.

🏴‍☠️ piratelover69 Follow

DID HE NOT GET AN EDUCATION???? WHERE DOES HE THINK BABIES COME FROM THEN???????

📚 devilish-archeologist79 Follow

Good question. Hold on, I'm going to ask him.

📚 devilish-archeologist79 Follow

He said it's one of life's greatest mysteries.

😊 delicate-tempest Follow

OP you told him where they come from right???? OP??????????

🌃 felldownthestairslol Follow

op please get this man on tumblr we have to talk to the meat menace

📚 devilish-archeologist79 Follow

No.

503k notes

[space-mango-company]

Stranger | Chapter 2

Chapter Links: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5]

TW: Descriptions of Violence, Mentions of Cannibalism

Tags: Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen x Atreides!Reader, Arranged Marriage, Eventual Smut (still not in this chapter lmao), No use of y/n, Original Characters, Canon what canon

Word Count: 2k

A/N: So... this was posted prematurely a couple hours ago. This is the actual finished longer version. If you don't know what I'm talking about, thank god. Sorry this took so long, lmao

Just letting you guys know that my knowledge of the lore is purely based off of the movies and the Dune wiki rabbit hole I fell into right after watching part two. I also took a few liberties with the canon here.

I'm super open to constructive criticism, or any criticism at all (feel free to absolutely roast me). Like I mentioned, I've never written fanfic before so I'd love to hear your thoughts!

The evening of your first day in Giedi Prime was celebrated with a banquet where you were introduced to the most important people on the planet. You've heard many stories of the ruthlessness and brutality of the Harkonnens, hence surprised by the courtly welcome during the dinner. Although you did your best to politely ignore the Baron who floated at the head of the table being fed by servants.

You were sat beside his nephew who, despite your mother's education, has evaded your insight. You couldn't quite get a read on him.

Feyd-Rautha whispers to you amid the buzzing conversations of the banquet hall, "are you enjoying the food, little hawk?"

You shoot him a questioning look.

"I like your hairpin," he sneers.

You resist from reaching to touch the Atreides symbol affixed in your hair.

"We don't see such ornaments often here." He quietly laughs in his devilish way, only too amused with himself.

Ah, you realize. He means to torment you.

"Seems early for pet names," you say, picking at your plate, "we've only just met."

"Oh, and yet we are to be wed in less than a week's time," his raspy voice rings in your ear, "I should like to be familiar with my future wife, Lady Atreides."

The marriage pact had been signed when you were only a little girl. Inheriting your father's inclinations, you swore you would uphold your duty, undeterred by the gruesome and abhorrent stories about the Harkonnens—because you knew that centuries of conflict could end within a generation with this union. You were a willing bride.

And yet.

You give him a smile that, to those not privy to your conversation, would seem genuine, "You know nothing of me, na-Baron."

"I should like to learn," you doubt his sincerity but care not enough to discern it. He takes a smug bite of a forkful of meat, "perhaps tomorrow, you shall learn something of me."

The following morning Iassa helps you into another black gown, this time with a veil in anticipation of the black sun.

"Is it not dangerous for Feyd-Rautha to wager his life for a show?" you question.

"The na-Baron is a skilled fighter, my lady. He will emerge victorious," Iassa is straight-faced as she drapes the veil over you.

"Yes, I do not doubt it, but given he is the Baron's heir. Does it not seem a touch irresponsible to even risk it at all."

Not that you actually cared for his life, you just expected that the Harkonnens would be concerned with the preservation of their house regardless of their brutality. You recall your grandfather who got himself killed fighting bulls for sport.

"The na-Baron will be fighting war prisoners. They will be drugged beforehand. It is perfectly safe, my lady."

"Oh." You couldn't decide if you were disappointed or not, "I see."

Iassa seemed intent on dropping the subject, so you do.

You stand before a mirror and take a look at yourself. It is impossible not to be reminded of your mother. She was never one for vanity, but you like to think there was a part of her that always enjoyed the elegant dresses she and you 'had' to wear. You allow yourself a somber smile behind your veil.

"You look beautiful, my lady," Iassa curtsies.

"Thank you," you look at her bowed figure, gray robes made more dull by the stark black choker on her neck. You were sure she was at least 2 standard years younger than you are and it had only been a few months since you came of age. You wondered if she liked pretty dresses too.

Before you can ask her, there is a knock at your door.

The house steward, Jaromir, clears his throat when Iassa opens it for you, "The na-Baron requests your presence before he enters the arena."

Heavy doors open for you in one of the chambers beneath the arena. You are greeted by the sight of a half-dressed Feyd-Rautha being helped into his armor by a servant.

"Lady Atreides," he looks you up and down, "I hope you slept well."

You bow your head in acknowledgment.

"Your knives, master," a large man whom you assume to be the bladesmith presents Feyd-Rautha with two daggers.

The young Harkonnen takes one and caresses the blade with his fingers.

"I've come to wish the brave na-Baron well before his fight in the arena," you say in false earnestness.

He smiles at your inflation of his ego.

"Though I must say, I am relieved it is all for show. I would not like to see my groom wounded before we are wed."

"For show?" Feyd-Rautha tilts his head and you see his arrogant facade show the slightest crack.

"Yes, I've heard your opponents will be drugged will they not?" your voice dripping with innocence, "to ensure your safety, of course."

His grip on the dagger tightens, "and where did you hear this exactly?"

You sense the awkwardness and tension in the servants. The one who had helped don Feyd-Rautha's armor has quietly retreated to the far side of the chamber. There is a subtle tremble in the hands of one holding a plate of towels. You finally notice the three women piled upon a raised platform glaring at you.

"Just voices around the fortress," you shrug.

A deep breath recovers Feyd-Rautha's smug expression. "Call for the warden," he orders one of the guards by the door, "tell him to prepare new prisoners. Sober ones."

"My lord, you need not endanger yourself," you feign worry.

"Nonsense." The na-Baron walks closer to tower over you, "My lady bride deserves to see my true prowess."

He sees through your challenge, but you don't care. Seeing his self-satisfied smirk wiped from his face for even just a second was worth it.

"Besides," he turns away from you to inspect the second knife, "my darlings enjoy meat that's fought for its life."

The three women sneer at this and you see their sharp teeth as they hiss amongst themselves.

You've heard of Feyd-Rautha's concubines long before you arrived on Giedi Prime. Tales of their taste for human flesh were one of the things that tested your resolve in fulfilling the marriage pact. You didn't mind that the na-Baron would keep other women. It would result in less of his attentions on yourself, you figured. It was their perverse appetite that nauseated you.

A look of revulsion hides behind your veil which you sense they would be all too happy to rip to shreds.

"I will see you in the stands, little hawk," Feyd-Rautha whispers to you as he waves for a guard to escort you out.

You do your best to drown out the noise of what seemed to be a countless audience that came to see the na-Baron fight. You could understand now why they uphold such brutal traditions. The people are so excited for it.

On the other side of the arena, you sense Vladimir Harkonnen watching you from the Baron's Box that towered over the whole arena. The blazing sun only helps you avoid looking in his direction. You were sat at a viewing box, still for nobility and separated from the masses, but much lower and closer to the sands of the arena. Jaromir had told you that you were to 'give the na-Baron your favor'.

Before long, the master of ceremonies announces Feyd-Rautha's entrance in Giedi Prime Speech. They are celebrating his betrothal to you and the union of Harkonnen and Atreides, you translate in your head. You wonder if the people care for the politics of the Great Houses. They seemed no less excited to cheer at your name despite the centuries-old blood feud.

Massive doors open as the na-Baron walks into the arena. His arms outstretched holding his knives like an extension of his limbs. He riles up the crowd as he walks towards the Baron's Box and kneels to his uncle. He then rises and walks toward you, smirking under the stark light of the black sun.

You may not fear earning the Harkonnens' contempt, but you were the Duke of Caladan's daughter and you knew that the favor of the people was invaluable.

You stand and walk to the edge of the viewing box. The glowing smile you reveal as you lift your veil draws cheers from the crowd that rival what Feyd-Rautha received. You produce a pure white handkerchief from your dress pocket and make a show of kissing it and waving the cloth at the buzzing crowd. You throw it off the edge and it floats toward the na-Baron who had moved both daggers to one hand to catch it. He looks up at you with what you think could be the seeds of respect and tucks the cloth into the tight armband around his right bicep.

He turns back to the audience and raises his knives in a war cry. The crowd explodes in guttural cheers and applause. Feyd-Rautha takes his position in the middle of the arena as his first opponent is released into the white sands.

You've heard of the Harkonnen heir's aptitude in single combat. It's time to see if the stories were true or if it was just another part of their menacing facade.

You were handed a pair of spyglasses to observe with. The two fighters approach each other, the prisoner wielding a knife of his own. Feyd-Rautha holds a taunting stance. The prisoner was sober, you were sure, but even without the spyglasses, you could see he was weak. You surmised the Harkonnen cells weren't very hospitable. He attempts a swipe but the na-Baron parries with ease. Another and the na-Baron dodges. Zooming in, you could see Feyd-Rautha's twisted amusement. He was toying with the poor man—and the people loved it.

The crowds cheered at the clashing of metal, thundering when the na-Baron drew first blood by slashig his opponent's arm. It wasn't long before Feyd-Rautha's dagger had impaled the prisoner's heart. There was no pause before a second prisoner was brought out to meet a similar fate.

Feyd-Rautha stood unwounded, seething with exhilaration. He enjoyed this; the thrill of killing. He basked in the roar of the crowd. You had never ended a life before, but some deep part of you could almost understand how he felt in that moment.

A third prisoner enters the arena. He looked older than the first two, bearded and taller. He reminded you of Gurney Halleck, the Atreides Warmaster. This man certainly wasn't at his prime but you could tell he would not go down as easily as the first two.

The warrior holds his blade out in a firm fighting stance, refusing to make the first move. You notice picadors in black suits have entered the arena, circling the na-Baron and his opponent. Feyd-Rautha lunges at the prisoner and a quick series of parries from both sides occur. You see the finesse in the na-Baron's movement. He recognizes his opponent's skill and he is taking this one seriously. You were not sure what you expected of the Harkonnen's fighting style but Feyd-Rautha was vicious but precise. The crowd gasps when the prisoner disarms one of the na-Baron's knives. The warrior manages to get a grip on Feyd-Rautha's armed hand and aims to pierce the na-Baron's neck with his blade. The na-Baron struggled against his hold and the arid air was thick with anticipation.

You were unsure what outcome you desired as you stared through your spyglass. Perhaps this warrior kills your betrothed. What then? Would you really be able to go back to Caladan's windy cliffs again? Return to the arms of your mother as if it were all a bad dream? You wonder if when Feyd-Rautha becomes baron, and you his baroness, could you convince him to let you see your family.

The warrior's blade was dangerously close to your future husband's throat when one of the picadors lashes at the warrior. The na-Baron growls at the offending picador as the warrior is weakened. Feyd-Rautha pushes him off and allows him a moment to recover, taunting him to try again. Blades clash once more and after a sequence of quick ferocious movements, Feyd-Rautha's blade slashes the warrior's throat. Blood made black by the infrared of the sun splatters onto the na-Baron. He licks the darkness that landed on his lips. Heaving, he takes your bloodied handkerchief off his armband and raises it to you and the roaring crowd.

You did not even realize you were already standing, breathless at the sight.

Chapter Links: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5]

Taglist: @torchbearerkyle @austinswhitewolf @dreamlandcreations @emeraldsgirl @strawberryfieldsforevermore

[syoddeye]

Monarch, do you have more thoughts on Simon and Jailbird? A crumb I beg you.

yeahbsolutely. mean simon ahead.

you realize you're probably stuck with this guy somewhere between the secondhand store and the diner. you don't have any family or friends. no money. nowhere to be and nowhere to go.

when you were informed of your release, you panicked about being on the outside again. no education, experience, or skills would make you palatable to an employer or landlord. you'd end up at a shelter, turn to your old ways to get by and land right back behind bars. good ol' prison state.

the worst part is that simon is well aware of all of this. he reminds you every chance he gets that he's your only support system. the only person who wants you. and he's mean about it. cuts to the quick.

you complain about changing into thrifted clothes before washing them, it's: you miss that fetchin' uniform already? ask nice, and i'll buy ya new one.

you mention the cleanliness of the grimy, hole-in-the-wall he takes you to for dinner, it's: yeah, i bet the canteen sparkled. a regular princess, turnin' your nose up at food. thinkin' you're better than this.

the worst is when you arrive at simon's dingy and depressing bachelor pad. you hold your plastic bag of clothes tight, afraid to touch anything, not that there's much by way of furniture or decor. he shows you to your room: a mattress on the floor, a folded quilt, and a single lumpy pillow. you don't have to say a word this time, it's all over your face.

he doesn't touch you, but he backs you into a corner. behind the paper mask, he breathes heavily, working through an emotion that never makes it to his eyes. they remain alarmingly flat.

now she's too good for a soft bed? a free place to stay? spoiled wretch. if you ask me, i don't think they went 'ard enough on you. good thing you got me now, hm? we'll get that 'ead screwed on right in no time.

he leaves you in a state, near hyperventilating from fear and rage. blood boiling and hot tears stinging your eyes. you hear him crack a beer and settle in for a show. every part of you wants to stomp right past him. march out the door. but where would you go? what would you do?

you make your bed. you lie in it.

[girlactionfigure]

The photograph below of the 1945 Shavuot prayer service in the liberated Buchenwald camp hangs in Yad Vashem’s Holocaust History Museum. Leading the service is Rabbi Herschel Schacter, a Jewish chaplain who was among the American liberators of Buchenwald.

Upon arriving at Buchenwald, the young Rabbi realized these prisoners were frightened of his uniform, which for them had been a symbol of oppression, he shouted out to them in Yiddish: “Yidden, ihr zeit frei–Jews, you are free!”

Outside the barracks, Rabbi Schacter was appalled by the horrific sights he encountered. His shock and dismay grew as he discovered piles of corpses awaiting cremation, and the deplorable state of physical and mental health among the surviving prisoners.

It was there that he encountered an 8-year-old survivor, ‘Lulek’ Lau, who warily watched the Rabbi from behind the tangled bodies of the dead. Rabbi Schacter picked up the little boy in his arms, and asked him how old he was.

“I’m certainly older than you” the young boy replied.

“Older than me?” asked Rabbi Schacter, startled… “What makes you think so?”

“Because you cry and laugh as a child, while I have forgotten how to laugh, and I can’t even cry... So tell me, which of us is older?” ‘Lulek’ responded.

Rabbi Schacter stayed in the liberated camp to aid in the physical and mental recovery of the living prisoners and to renew Jewish life and traditions, including celebrating the impending Jewish holiday of Shavuot. Seated in the front row of the Shavuot prayers was 8-year-old ‘Lulek’ Lau (pictured below).

One month later ‘Lulek’ immigrated to the land of Israel. He would grow up to become the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Chairman of the Yad Vashem Council, and a leading voice for Holocaust remembrance and education worldwide: Rabbi Israel Meir Lau.

Grandchildren of Holocaust Survivors

[kuni-is-daddy]

Okay, but Lesser Lord!Reader riding Scara and him praising them and saying how lucky he is to be ridden and pleasured by a god like them. Just fluffy, soft sex with Scara, and maybe a bit of brat taming.

This man has such a chokehold on me

SUB!WANDERER X LESSOR LORD FEM!READER PART 4?

featuring:? A bit of paimon and the traveler(Can be aether or lumine, didnt use a specific gender)

//Lessor lord Y/n Teases with the name Hatguy, Sabzeruz Festival Event Spoilers!, Use of mommy~

word count: 1.43k

Scara masterlist! Scara x Lessor lord masterlist

"What? You think im TRYING to think the worst of lessor lord y/n? Incase you've forgotten Traveler..Im not a saint." wanderer scoffed while retrieving the archives of Sachin's research from paimon. "Tch- Ugh- Paimon thinks your being pretty harsh HAT GUY! be nice to y/n or paimons gonna give you a UGLY NICKNAME! She gave you a education and healthcare!" the floating child stomped her feet. "Because im her prisoner, you lowly creature. And healthcare is free in sumeru, Dont need it anyway, im a puppet incase your so dum to remember. She wouldnt-" A cool lavender scented air coated the hot desert. Stopping the puppet as he remembered the familiar sent. "You think so.. Should i treat you as my prisoner hat guy?"

You walked up towards your group of friends and 'prisoner' as your caped swayed throughout the breeze. Taking the files from hatguy with a smirk on your face. "Hah. You already do, Having me run errands for you like a dog. But if doing this gives me worth. Then so be it." He said while looking down at you. "Is that what this is about hat guy? You want to feel worthy in the eyes of a god~" With your free hand you tugged at his feathered ornament. Smoothly rubbing along the prickles. Paimon and traveler looked with flustered expressions at your teasing. "You know hat guy~ I was hoping you could make some friends but..I guess that didnt work out hm? Busy making enemies with your saviors-" "Unnecessary. I dont need anymore reasons to be indebt to you." He placed his warm hand along your arm. Watching you tinker with his worth. "Then we can start off with you being a scholar how about that? Even prisoners have a right to education." Paimon coughed at the interaction, "I- uhm Y/N? as the god of wisdom. what do you plan to do with sachins research? It is 'negative' wisdom after all." You gazed and pulled away from his touch and began flipping through the archive. "Well paimon, As the god of wisdom I have to guide everyone to wisdom, even good or bad. But I will seal away his knowledge as his ideals are more deemed as corrupted and-" "Tch. Talk about a speech, What about mine huh? Is that why you have me doing this? Because i have 'corrupt' knowledge and see me as a pawn?" You sighed at his interruption, then smirked at the choice of words. "Well..I can help you with your 'corruption' myself, Mr hat guy~" You closed the book roughly, making the two snap out of their disturbed daze. "Paimon, Traveler. Come by the akademiya later today and ill have him drop off the rest of your things regarding the festival. Until then~" You greeted them goodbye with a smile. With a flick of your finger the wanderer wasnt too far behind you. Mumbling and giving death glares to his 'saviors' over another task he had to do.

---

Thunder and lightning struck through your blurry view of sumeru city, You sat at Wanderers small desk writing about what interested on you sachins research for his thesis. How could a wealthy man be so bothered by society? One that he technically can change with a bag of mora. But you had your own changes to worry about. Apep, a former ruler of sumeru that existed since the start of the Heavenly principals. With all that knowledge the dragonette had, many of your questions could be answered without the use of irminsul. Along with eternal protection for your nation. You just needed a way..some sort of 'contract' to get that information from apep. "Ugh, what am i thinking..Im acting like morax and Ei with these ideals." You laid your bare head on the desk. Tapping your pen while thinking of ways to get more from the dragon.

After what felt like never ending rain, you heard a click of the doorknob and a light dangle of bells. "Well. How did it go? I trust that you gave them what they needed. Hat guy?" The puppet walked into the room. Brushing off the water on his hat. "Tsk. In the rain if that makes you feel any better..And would you stop calling me that? There's no need." He placed his hat on the hanger then laid on your side of the bed, Already undressed into a shirt and shorts. "Hm.. But I like it~" You pulled the chair back, turning around to face the lean puppet. "I never thought the god of wisdom would be so childish..." he sighed. "Don't you like it? the honor of having your nickname picked out by a god." you got up out of your chair and began walking towards the bed. The puppet stayed silent as you climbed onto his body.

"Aren't you lucky Scara. The god of wisdom treating you so well, giving you a home, education, anything you've wanted." His cock twitched in his pants at the name. Your cape swayed gently on his legs as you positioned yourself on top of him. "I-I told you before, it's unnecessary. I'm your pris-" before he could get another word out you leaned down and laid kisses along his neck. Sinking further into the pillow as he covered his muffled moans. "Y-y/n you- ah..." "Is that all you think you are hatguy? The prisoner of a god...I think your worthy of more..." You whispered in his ear as your clothed clit rubbed back and forth against his crotch. "F-fuck...shut up..stoph..saying..that..~" he trailed his hands along your top while you sucked at his neck. Recklessly tugging at the buttons that kept your cape hooked. "Mmm..your such a brat hat guy...maybe you don't deserve it." You flicked his hand off your torn cape and began pulling away from his hot body. "N-no! Wait..." He sat up as you crawled off the bed "... I want it..y/n.." you crossed your arms. "Hmm..I don't know hat guy~ what's the magic word?" You grinned as he gripped onto the sheets in frustration, covering his embarrassingly hard cock. "Maybe.. I'll just go finish up in my room~ you seem a little tired-" "P-please.. I want it y/n.. I cant- i-" suddenly you smashed your lips against his, the both of you fell back on the pillow as he wrapped his arms around you with no hesitation. Exchanging spit as the puppets body began to heat up between each breath. "Hah.. more~ more please" "mhm? what do you want scara~ mmm how do you want your god to make you feel good?"

"I- inside...f-fuck me.." you sighed at his words. "Such a vulgur puppet you are.. wanting your god to fuck you like this.." you parted lips, then looked down to his bulge. "We can't have down here being covered, can we?" You pulled his pants down to reveal his wet length, stained in precum. "Your so big scara..~" you pulled your skirt and underwear off, climbing ontop of him once more, both of your pre oozing onto eachother while you guided his length to your hole, brushing the tip along it. "Hah...fuck..d-dont tease me...I-" you sunk his length deep inside of you while a moan spilled from your lips "Ah~ your doing so well scara~ filling up your god just like that~" his hips buckled up at your praise. "Y-y/n your so warm i- oh fuck!" He gripped onto your waist, pushing you farther into his length as you began riding him, biting your lips from the ecstasy of his tight grip. "Mmm your such a good boy scara, taking your reward for being so good for me, for your god~" "Ah~ yes, s' good! Just for you! Don't stop mommy~ please!" The puppets body began to heat up even more. He trained himself to breathe to fit in with humans, but not like this..not so roughly and begging like a dog in heat from the pleasure he felt. "Such a lucky boy aren't you? Do you wanna cum inside your god?" "Y-yes! Please- wanna cum! Let me mommy! I'll be a good prisoner- a good puppet! A-anything please~" you giggled at the way the once false god dropped his pride, the pleasure from being inside you and feeling loved was too much for him. You did give him everything, everything he ever wanted from a person, from his god. "Shit...Then I can't turn you down since you asked so nicely baby~ cum for mommy, cum for your god~" His nails stung into your skin while your moans echoed throughout your room. "Hah..oh God mommy I'm gonna- i- inside! It's coming!!" The puppets brain overheated and turned to mush from your warmth "mommy! I- im- AH~" with a few rocks of your hips he shot his load inside of you, coating his sticky and warm liquid along your walls. You rode out your high, dripping your own juices onto his own length and shirt while the puppet watched with practical hearts for pupils and a mouth leaking drool. Hazily as you shifted down to his dripping shaft and kissed at it with your wet lips. "Now im going to give you your reward, my prisoner~"

Some of you liked cat!subby scara so this was another subby scara one

And yes health care really is free in sumeru according to one of alhaithams voice lines about kaveh getting scammed💀🤭❌

Scara x Lessor lord masterlist

[matan4il]

Daily update post:

Today, the IDF is beginning its internal investigation into the failure to prevent the Hamas massacre on Oct 7. The investigation will check the way the army handled all relevant aspects, covering the period of 2018 until Oct 10, 2023. The investigation is operative in nature, it's not meant to single out and punish the guilty (there will likely be a separate investigation for that later, after the war), it'll be more focused on understanding mistakes that were made, in order to prevent them from occurring again.

It's kind of ironic, how quick westerners are to accuse Israel of genociding Arabs, meanwhile Arab countries (even ones that say similar things) are still looking to collaborate with Israel. In its peace treaty with Jordan, Israel agreed to supply its eastern Arab neighbor with an annual amount of water, but has in reality implemented a deal, where it supplies Jordan with twice the amount it's obligated to. Now, Jordan is asking Israel to extend this water deal by at least another year. Jordan has been one of the more hostile Arab countries when it comes to Israel since the start of the war in Gaza (which is no surprise, since it's the Arab country with the most substantial Palestinian population). Jordan has even gone so far as to back up South Africa in its ICJ case blaming Israel of committing genocide. If Jordan really believed that Israel seeks to genocide Arabs, would this Arab kingdom really be asking the Jewish state to supply it with water? Would it allow itself to depend on Israel for its water supply? Would it be able to say, "please extend this water deal," showing it has in the past trusted Israel with its water supply, and has gotten exactly what it was asking for? Israel is asking Jordan in return to tone down its anti-Israel rhetoric.

There are reports coming out of Russia, that today, an ISIS cell was stopped before committing a terrorist attack against a local synagogue in Moscow.

In the Netherlands, anti-Israel activists have demanded the arrest of the Israeli president when he arrives in the country for a state visit. I have to point out two things. First, the president's role in Israel is mainly a ceremonial one, he has almost no executive power (the most meaningful action he can take, is in pardoning, or refusing to pardon, prisoners). Second, there are Hamas seniors living in and traveling to Europe freely. People who are leading the genocidal, antisemitic Islamist terrorist organization which committed the Oct 7 atrocities are free to come and go as they please, while Israeli officials, even ceremonial ones, have to be worried about their freedoms. This is a twisted reality we are living in.

This:

vs this:

Remember how many countries froze their UNRWA funding, after info started coming out that its employees had participated in the Hamas massacre, and how many of them have ties to Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist organizations? Turns out that this only froze about half of UNRWA's annual budget, that quietly some of these countries have begun trickling money back to UNRWA, and that Canada is about to unfreeze its funding for this UN agency. Ask Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau where is the body of Yonatan Samerano, kidnapped by an UNRWA member. Ask him where are our hostages, and how many of them are still held captive because of UNRWA's complicity. Ask him how many Canadian citizens murdered or otherwise harmed on Oct 7 or since, were targeted by an UNRWA member, or because of the pro-terrorist education UNRWA supplies. Ask him how will he say "Never again" on the next Holocaust Remembrance Day with a straight face.

This is 19 years old Naama Levi.

On Oct 7, the second vid that Twitter pushed at me, was the one in which she was seen, being dragged by her hair out of the back of a Jeep, her hands cuffed, and her sweatpants soaked with blood. Not the last pair of bloodied pants or skirt or dress I've seen from that day, but the first, and the biggest shock. Naama is still in Hamas captivity. This is her mother, speaking about this ordeal:

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

[submalevolentgrace]

for pretty much my entire life we have been locking up refugees in UN-certified human-rights-violating "offshore detention" camps for the heinous crime of daring to try and flee from death and worse, often from wars-on-terror we've helped wage, and have very much done highly decorated war crimes in. we hold them in conditions so bad that war-fleeing refugees have sown their mouths shut, tried to starve themselves, even children trying to kill themselves to escape what we're doing to them. WE are doing. because in my boots on the ground activism days i tried to fight the government on this, and the fact is, the australian public on the whole doesn't give a shit about us torturing refugee kids, half the country is in support of it, so the government gets a free pass no matter which side is in power. from howard to rudd to gillard to rudd to abbott to turnbull to morison to albanese, we lock up and torture refugees. the UN anti-torture inspectors aren't allowed to visit. the camps are run by a private USA prison contractor now.

and it's not like we can't organise a protest! we'll barricade MP's offices because of something an ally-in-law country is doing that we condemn, but when the blood is on our hands we don't wanna know, don't wanna fight, don't wanna admit. and albanese gets up there and says those barricades have "crossed a line", "there's no place for violence like this in our democracy", he says. you know where there is an implicit place for violence, apparently? cops beating indigenous kids to death on camera, the australian people are fine with that apparently. happens all the time. better have a curfew so those kids don't get too rowdy about it!

oh and the CIA agents and US soldiers we welcomed here to supposedly defend us, they rape a bunch of women and children, mostly also indigenous? better get ASIO and the AFP to monitor the population for anti-american sentiment, local cops do it plenty too and we can't stand up to the USA, we're about to go to war with our biggest economic trading partner on their behalf, the troop buildup locations have already been announced! sweep it under the rug little aussies, scrub it from your memory, who cares about raped children anyway? not worth protesting, apparently.

we are right in the middle of the asia-pacific, with loosely speaking about a 5th of the population ethnically or culturally asian, and they are absolutely terrified of speaking out about how many hate crimes they suffer constantly, because the other 80% of the population is more culturally invested in american politics than the fact that labor considers pauline hanson an ally. i don't blame the 20% getting hatecrimed for being scared to speak up, i sure as fuck blame the rest of us for not protecting them, and for doing those hate crimes. "wE'rE a MuLtIcUlTuRaL sOcIeTy!! nO rAcIsM hErE!!", but we'll organise citywide marches in the middle of a pandemic if a black american kid gets killed over there, and then tell blak people they're spelling it wrong.

then we flood the region with our white-bleached propaganda and "culture", to control smaller governments and and lure the people of the region here for our economic benefit; the wealthy as fodder to fund the education complex, and the poor to work below-minimum-wage-slavery "jobs programs" on our great proud aussie battler family run farms.

it's all out in the open. the torture, the murder, the rape, the hate crimes, the technically-it's-legally-distinct-from-slavery, it's all known, all reported regularly on the news, endlessly, cyclically, every few months or years, for my whole life. fuck knows what else we're doing and i don't know about because pine gap prevents it from reaching english language news.

i know the internet zeitgeist really only cares about the single latest trending topic to happen, so you're wondering what that is to make me react enraged and ashamed; but it's everything. i haven't even scratched the surface, just ranting off the top of my head.

every day i carry the shame of what a disgusting violent colony nation this is; to the people who consider themselves australian, to the people here before the nation and their descendants, to the people surrounding us now. i carry the guilt of failure to stop it, and casual complicity of having given up the fight because i couldn't handle it. i think that's what most activists do here, give up in shame, because activists aren't fighting the government - we have one of the most free and open democracies in the world, and the spineless cowards in charge absolutely will do what the populace whims of them - activists here are fighting the cruel and apathetic average australian, who either don't care, or active condone it all. we have the blood of this country on our hands.

so.

what has australia done now?

it's fucken wednesday, mates. nothing new.

[bfpnola]

Updated version! ID written by @swosheep (it won't let me tag you oof)

ID 1: All images are of an Instagram post by letstalkpalestine2. The first one is titled "Lets Talk. What is Hamas? Answering the basic questions".

ID 2: the second image is titled "What Are Its Origins?". the body text reads: "Hamas is a Palestinian political party and armed resistance movement based in the besieged Gaza Strip. It emerged in 1987, at the start of the First Intifada, as a reaction to intensifying israeli violence and as a religious alternative to the secular Palestinian parties that dominated the scene at the time. Hamas was originally a branch of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood but later cut ties with it and became an independent group. In 1992, Hamas formed a military wing called the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades to resist the israeli occupation. The Brigades carried out several significant operations against Israel during the Second Intifada, which established Hamas as a leading force in the Palestinian resistance."

ID 3: the third image is titled "Who Are Its Leaders?". The body text reads: "Hamas is composed of a political wing and a military wing. They each perform different functions but operate under the same leadership structure." There is a grid with four sections. The first section is titled "Political Bureau", and reads: "- Headed by Ismail Haniyeh from exile - Sets general policy". The second section is titled: "Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades" and reads: "- Commanded by Marwan Issa and Mohammed Deif - Conducts military operations". The third section is titled: "Shura Council" and reads: "- Led by Saleh al-Arouri in the West Bank and Yahya Sinwar in Gaza - Handles affairs in Gaza, the West Bank, diaspora, and israeli prisons". The fourth section is titled: "Gaza Government" and reads: "- Headed by Prime Minister Issam al-Da'alis - Enacts policies and provides social services to people in Gaza".

ID 4: The fourth image is titled: "What Does Hamas Want?" The body text reads: "Its 2017 charter states that its current political program is to: - Implement the right of return for all Palestinian refugees; - Establish a temporary Palestinian state along the 1967 borders (the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip) and arrange a long-term truce with israel. Hamas considers the establishment of a Palestinian state on the '67 borders as a temporary step. It refuses to recognize israel's legitimacy and advocates for the 'full and complete liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea.' Hamas's 2017 charter states that its struggle is against the israeli state and the Zionist movement due to their occupation of Palestine, not Jewish people, and criticizes israel for associating its actions with Jewish values. Hamas's stated goals for its current operation are to - Free the thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by israel, - End the Gaza blockade, - End the status quo where Israel continues its occupation without cost".

ID 5: the fifth image is titled: "Does Hamas Control Gaza?". The body text reads: "Not really. Hamas administers local affairs, while israel controls much of Gaza from the outside through its blockade. israel forcibly controls: - Airspace, - Sea access, - Movement of all goods and people in and out, - Telecoms networks, - Electromagnetic sphere, - Tax distribution, - Population registry, - Water, - Electricity and fuel. Hamas began governing Gaza in 2007, and has since managed: - Healthcare, - Education, - Infrastructure, - Social welfare, - Law enforcement, - Public employment. Hamas is not a sovereign government. israel's blockade prevents Palestinians from independently exercising sovereignty over Gaza's population, development, and economy."

ID 6: The sixth image is titled "Does Hamas Represent Palestine?" The body text reads: "Hamas is one of many Palestinian political parties. On the one hand, Hamas was democratically elected by voters in 2006, garnering a plurality of West Bank and Gaza votes (44%) for its social services and resistance efforts. Today. Fatah and Hamas, the two largest parties, are roughly tied, each enjoying the support of a third of the public. On the other hand, many Palestinians strongly criticize Hamas's political wing due to its corruption and repressive policies, and the last elections were in 2006. 43% of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza believe that no party represents Palestine. The other polled Palestinians were split between parties, with no clear winner. We have no statistics for Palestinians in the heartland ("israel") or diaspora. However, Hamas is currently the only major group that pursues armed resistance, which is widely supported. So while most Palestinians might not support Hamas as a party, the overwhelming majority support acts of resistance in general, whether by Hamas or others."

ID 7: the seventh image is titled "Is Hamas a Proxy of Iran?". The body text reads: "No. Hamas is an independent group with a political program and military strategy distinct from Iran. Hamas and Iran are strategic allies, meaning that while Iran provides Hamas with significant financial, military, and political support, Hamas does not act or operate on behalf of Iran. It makes decisions based on its own interests, and independently manages relations with countries like Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt. For example: In 2012, Hamas cut ties with Syria because it opposed the Assad regime's violent crackdown on protesters. It took this decision despite angering Iran, a close ally of Assad. Regarding Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, even israeli officials admit there is no evidence that Iran was in any way involved. Iran was actually surprised by it. Hamas independently coordinated and launched the operation to achieve its own goals."

ID 8: The eighth image is titled "Does Hamas Negotiate with Israel?". The body text reads: "Hamas views armed struggle as only one of several tools to end apartheid & occupation, such as diplomacy. In 2006, in an op-ed for The Guardian, Hamas chairman Ismail Haniyeh revealed that israel refused Hamas's proposal for a truce. In 2008, former Hamas chief Khaled Meshal offered a 10-year truce in exchange for a sovereign Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital." israel rejected the proposal. In 2016, Hamas offered a long-term truce in exchange for simply ending the Gaza Blockade. israel rejected it. In 2018, Haniyeh revived this offer by sending a handwritten letter in Hebrew to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. But israel rejected it again. israel repeatedly rejected Hamas's diplomatic initiatives because israel saw no reason to end the oppressive status quo, which it believed gave it power & privileges over Palestinians with minimal downsides. israel's benefits outweighed the costs. Hamas is trying to change that."

ID 9: the ninth image is titled "Is Hamas Risking Palestinian Lives?". The body text reads: "Westerners often accuse Hamas of risking Palestinian lives by fighting apartheid and thus inviting a deadly israeli crackdown. But the reality is that israel's blockade is slowly killing everyone in Gaza. [quote] 'We have paid a high cost in lives in this conflict. But if that's the price for long-term changes - breaking the siege and obtaining freedom - it's one many of us feel we have no choice but to swallow.' [unquote] -Haytham Besalso, civil engineer from Gaza, 2014. [quote] 'We are bleeding here, anyway [..] The Gaza Blockade crushes any opportunity for peace.' [unquote] -Ismail, anonymous journalist from Gaza, 2021. The argument that Hamas is responsible for israel's killing of Palestinians is malicious. It blames the victims for resisting apartheid and absolves the oppressors of responsibility, treating the mass killing of children as a 'normal' israeli response."

ID 10: the tenth image says: "You don't need to support Hamas as a political party to support Palestine. Most Palestinians don't support it as a party. But Hamas is an effective political player in the struggle against apartheid, oppression, and colonization. It has achieved remarkable success in preventing israeli violence in Jerusalem and freeing Palestinian hostages abducted by israel. Hamas has institutions, ministries, student movements, and women's movements, and employs thousands of doctors, teachers, judges, and aid workers. It is part of the fabric of Palestinian society. So while you don't need to support Hamas to support Palestine, you cannot oppose oppression without supporting the resistance to it. You cannot support freedom while supporting israeli efforts to wipe out those who fight for that freedom, including Hamas, to leave Palestinians defenc Pales". End ID.

the original caption states that @/LetsTalkPalestine2 does not endorse any specific party, including Hamas, and that the last word on the last slide should be *defenseless.

[lesbiansandgayssupporttheminers]

I want to write a little bit about structural racism in the UK against Travellers, and the Labour Party's complicity with this because I think it might help explain why that letter from Diane Abbott disturbed me so much.

Romani and Irish Travellers in the UK experience discrimination all the time. They'll be barred from shops and pubs, they experience discrimination from the police, they experience racial abuse. If they are living a nomadic lifestyle, they struggle to access schools and hospitals. Educational outcomes for Romani students are the worst in England by a large margin, followed by Irish Travellers. They're also over represented in the prison population compared to the proportion of the general population they make up.

Irish Travellers are generally "white/white passing" although they are a distinct ethnic group from the settled Irish. However, not all Romani people are "white passing" and some see themselves as PoC. Both groups have fought for a long time to be recognised officially as ethnic minorities and to gain legal protections.

In 2022, the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts act was passed. This is the "bill" that was the focus of the "kill the bill" protests, and lots was written about the restrictions it placed on protestors. However, part 4 of the bill related to unauthorised encampments. Although the law does not specifically name any ethnic groups, it effectively criminalises the traditional nomadic traveller lifestyle.

It creates an offence of residing in a vehicle (this would include a caravan) on land without permission. It allows the police to seize the vehicle, even prior to the offence being committed. It allows the police to impose fines and prison sentences.

Although the bill itself does not name any particular ethnic group, much of the advice and communication around the bill does. This is because it's clearly designed to target certain groups who live a traditional nomadic lifestyle. It's designed to make them homeless, and force them into housing- essentially forced assimilation. The British have been trying to do this to Romani and Irish Travellers for centuries.

This law was passed by the Tories, but one thing people don't know is that Starmer whipped the Labour party against most sections of the bill. He allowed a free vote on Section 4- the section that specifically related to "unauthorised encampments".

Around the same time, in 2021, his party produced local election leaflets which mentioned "traveller incursions"- eventually they admitted the leaflets were racist and destroyed them. It's not the first time, and won't be the last, that Labour use racism against these groups to win points with the electorate.

In this context, Abbott is part of a system which is systematically discriminating against Romani and Irish Travellers- yes, Labour aren't the party in power, but they are a part of the system enabling this to happen.

So, I read her letter in that context. I read her minimisation of the struggles of the most marginalised ethnic groups in our society in that context (I don't want to make this "who has things worst" but it's nonetheless true). At best, she's throwing them under the bus to make a point she thinks will be popular with her supporters. At worst, she's actively affirming her own party's racist policies.

"It doesn't matter if we criminalise their way of life, because it's not "real" racism".

She is someone seen to be on the left, seen to be anti-racist, and she's effectively saying this prejudice is acceptable.

[ophthalmotropy]

what's happening in argentina?

I don't fault you for the broad question because I'd ask too, but I need you to know that as a non-smoker I've never felt so strongly the need for a cigarette as I did just now thinking about answering this question. But I'll do my best.

In November of last year, the country elected Javier Milei as president. He would swear into office the next month. Javier Milei is a self-identified anarcho-capitalist and libertarian, although he states he is a minarchist in the short term (meaning he thinks the only functions the State should serve are those of law enforcement: no public education, social development, market regulations, etc etc). Some of his most controversial campaign statements included projects to legalise the free and unregulated sale of organs, and, along with his vice-president Victoria Villarruel (who in her youth organised visits to Jorge Rafael Videla in prison), apologia for the 1976 military dictatorship by revindicating the theory of the two demons (fair warning that from what I skimmed that article is biased in favour of the theory) and casting into doubt the estimated 30.000 victims of state terrorism (torture, disappearance followed by death) (also warning that that article uses the name the military junta gave this process) during its duration.

Since he took over six months ago, the population's purchasing power has dropped by 38%, plunging millions of people below the line of poverty. In stark contrast to this, Milei has been travelling around the world using public funds to visit his ultraright idols; most notably, Trump, who is not the political leader of any country at the moment (making his trip to see him a personal visit and not a diplomatic one, thus invalidating his arguments for using our money to go there).

On the subject of diplomacy, his government has been swinging quite a lot of bats at hornets' nests, accusing China and Brazil of communism and insulting the wife of the president of Spain. All of this is an international relations nightmare that will take endless apologies to undo.

Another interesting resolution deregulates the operations of foreign companies, SPVs, and offshore companies (article in Spanish), with the stated goal of attracting investments. Those types of companies have historically been used to conceal illicit activity, so resolutions in that vein pave the way to effectively turn Argentina into a fiscal paradise. This isn't the only problem they pose (offshore companies don't pay taxes, so there'd be a loss in the public sector, for example), but it is the most worrying to me because they also eliminated restrictions for Sociedades de Acciones Simplificadas (simplified stock companies), most of which have historically been used to commit crimes among which is the drug trade. Once you have narcos in your country, there's no taking it back--Argentina would be at real risk of ceasing to exist as we know it.

This administration is also slashing public spending, resulting in some universities suspending their activities temporarily. They also failed to deliver oncological medicine, depriving cancer patients of assistance the state is obligated to provide. As a result of this, several people have died already. In this climate of extreme poverty, soup kitchens have been shutting down en masse due to the withdrawal of state funding, and laws that protected tenants' rights and regulated rent prices have been severely modified to the detriment of the tenants.

The violent decrease in public spending also resulted in thousands of state workers being fired overnight. The attack is especially centred on state organisations that promote the arts or whose purpose is to fight discrimination. On this subject, 10% of the transgender and travesti workers who had their positions guaranteed by the law were fired illegally, and government members are outspoken about their opposition to this law--which isn't surprising. Diana Mondino, the current chancellor, has compared same-sex marriage to "the right to having lice" while she held a position in Congress. Ricardo Bussi, a current legislator, compared homosexuality to disability in October 2023. Coming to this year, Francisco Sánchez, the Secretary of Religion, said that the laws protecting the right to abortions, divorce, and same-sex marriage "seek to pervert our children and damage society". Milei is also on record describing abortion as "homicide aggravated by the bond".

Also recently, Milei's biographer, Nicolás Márquez, gave a one-hour interview in which he characterised homosexuality as a disease, claiming that when the State "promotes homosexuality" (as it allegedly did before Milei came to power), it is aiding a "self-destructive" conduct, supporting these claims with unfounded statistics about the correlation between STIs and homosexuality; he also denied the existence of homophobia and described lesbians and gays as being "against nature". For the sake of full disclosure, I will say he explicitly freed Milei and his government of responsibility for his declarations--but I think it's really important to point out the kind of people and rhetorics this government is giving a platform to; after all, nobody knew Nicolás Márquez before he started writing for Milei. In approximately the same time frame, and in response to a horrific hate crime that resulted in the death of three lesbians, Manuel Adorni, the presidential spokesman, said that he "doesn't like" to talk about a hate crime because men suffer violence too--and he said this in a press conference.

I'm probably forgetting something important--so much has happened in the past months--but I hope this is enough to give you an impression of the changes our society is undergoing. Please let me know if you have follow-up questions. <3

[gallifreyinstituteforlearning]

Hi,

my Timelord keeps boasting about his superior physical and mental abilities and calls me an ape (How can one reciprocate? He never mentions one of his less sentient ancestors, it's as if he never evolved from anything) when I throw him rubber bands (it's only to either quell his grandiose monologues or wake him up when he's unconscious and locked in a prison cell, promise).

Anyhow, I know you guys live longer, think harder and jump higher than us humans, but there must be something we can do better, right? Something positive, that is. Something I could possibly use to humble my companion a little

kind regards

- humanon

Is there anything Humans do better than Gallifreyans?

Gallifreyans are superior in all conceivable physical and mental ways, but humans are superior in two ways:

👶 Procreation and Survival

Firstly, humanity's incredible ability to multiply and survive through countless adversities is, admittedly, impressive. While Gallifreyans boast superior intellect, resilience, and longevity, humans have an almost baffling knack for enduring and thriving against all odds. This adaptability, while crude, has allowed humankind to last across the ages.

🤦Humans Are Stupid

That's not actually an insult - it's a compliment. Because humans are so stupid in comparison to Gallifreyans, it means that they aren't yet bored by the Universe and its intricacies. Did you ever wonder why some Time Lords take a human companion? It's like getting your new friend to watch your favourite TV show with you when they've never seen it before. You want to see if they laugh and cry in the right places, and how they'll react to that amazing plot twist.

Related:

Could a human become a Time Lord?: Quick look at how a human could become a Time Lord.

How does artron energy exposure affect humans?: Dangers and benefits of artron exposure for humans.

Factoids: What happens when a human spends a lot of time with a Time Lord?

Hope that helped! 😃

Any purple text is educated guesswork or theoretical. More content ... →📫Got a question? | 📚Complete list of Q+A and factoids →😆Jokes |🩻Biology |🗨️Language |🕰️Throwbacks |🤓Facts →🫀Gallifreyan Anatomy and Physiology Guide (pending) →⚕️Gallifreyan Emergency Medicine Guides →📝Source list (WIP) →📜Masterpost If you're finding your happy place in this part of the internet, feel free to buy a coffee to help keep our exhausted human conscious. She works full-time in medicine and is so very tired 😴

[l1tw1ck]

Bad Boy Ajax

FTM!Ajax x Top!Male Reader

Series: Higher Education | Kinktober

Contains: Non-Con, Teasing, Virginity Kink, Desk Sex, Degrading, Spanking, Non-Con Creampie

Words: 817 | Reader Discretion is Advised

──────────────────

Ajax was your typical bad student. He shows up to class late, disrupts learning, picks fights, and just in general acts like an entitled asshole.

He even has the nerve to flirt with you. You were often the one watching him during detention, subjecting you to experience the brunt of his flirtatious antics.

"It's just you and me, teach." Ajax grins.

"As usual." You reply dryly.

"I noticed there aren't any cameras in here. No windows either. It's like a prison without surveillance."

"That's why I'm here. To be the warden."

"Can the warden grant me a get out of jail free card? In exchange for my body?" Ajax jokes.

You've had enough of his stupidity. "Come on up then."

Ajax looks at you in shock. "What?"

"Did you not hear me? Come." You snap your fingers.

He nervously walks up to your desk, standing in front of it with clear confusion painted on his face.

"Stay there." You order, walking behind him. You bend him over on the desk and move his hands behind his back, preventing him from getting up.

"Wait- I was joking!"

"So once someone reciprocates your flirting, you tuck your tail in between your legs and pretend it was a joke?"

"I'm sorry! Okay? I won't do it again just- just please don't touch me." Ajax squirms in your hold.

"You're tempting me."

"I'm a virgin, please!"

"You're making me even hornier." You smirk. "I eat virgins alive." You rub your bulge against his ass.

Ajax shivers. "Please, sir, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"I think a proper punishment is overdue." You pull his pants down, revealing his ocean themed boxers. "How cute."

"No! I'll stop being bad! I promise!"

"Your personality did quite the 180." You laugh. "I'm not going to stop, Ajax, you deserve this." You spank him.

Ajax gasps, giving up. "I'm sorry.."

"'I'm sorry' seems to come out of your mouth easily when you're in trouble." You grope his ass, admiring the softness. "I don't think I've ever heard you apologize, at least not genuinely."

Ajax sniffs, shivering and shaking in fear.

"Gods...I'm so tempted to fuck that little hole of yours." You move his legs apart, not missing the dark wet spot in his underwear. "Ah? Don't tell me you're turned on by this."

He whimpers, not responding.

Chuckling, you pull his underwear down and look at his dripping cunt, basically begging to be filled. "Mm, you must love the idea of getting your virginity taken by your teacher." You spank his sex, making Ajax mewl. You pull your pants off and let your hard cock free, you press it against his entrance before pushing your length in with no remorse.

Ajax screams, his eyes widening as you stretch his cunt and push in until your tip kisses his cervix, eliciting another scream but this time of both shock and pleasure.

"Shut up you dumb whore," You spank his ass. "Or do you want the janitor to see what a slut you are?"

He bites his lip, looking down and trying not to be loud.

"Me and him are friends, he might actually want to join in." You smirk, fucking into him slowly. "What do you think? Getting fucked in the throat while I destroy your tight little cunt?"

"No~! Please~! I'll be quiet!"

"Aw, you only want me fucking you? How cute." You pick up the pace, fucking him mercilessly and cruelly. "I took you for more of a whore, the type to participate in gangbangs."

"Nno~! Not a wh- whore~!"

"Yes you are, you're a whore and a cockslut." You spank him, his ass getting red. "Say it."

"Aah~!" He moans, squeezing your cock tightly. "M' a who- whore~ 'n a co- cockslut~! Fo- for y- you~ sir~!"

"Fuck. That's right, only for me." You growl, now planning on keeping Ajax as your little toy for the rest of the year.

"Gh- gonna come~!" He warns before reaching his peak, pussy fluttering around your length.

"You're gonna be a good boy from now on, right, Ajax?" You fuck him through his orgasm.

"Ye- yes! Gon- gonna be good~! Wh- whatev- uh~ you want~!" He nods rapidly.

"That's what I like to hear. All good boys deserve a reward, want my cum, baby?" You fuck him harder.

Ajax gasps. "Wa- wait~! Nn- no~! Don- don't wah~ wanna ge- get preg- pregnant~!" He kicks his legs around.

"You should take everything I give you, Ajax," You slam into his cervix, keeping still and coming inside him, your seed breaching the entrance of his womb. "Even if you don't want it."

His eyes roll to the back of his head, legs twitching as he processes what's just occurred.

"Don't expect any support if you get pregnant." You pull out slowly, your cum dribbling out from his pulsing cunt and onto the floor. "Maybe take the after pill."