#Fair Elections Now Act

[krockat]

yeah. fuck. how many people are believing it's better not to vote at all, do you think?

and it's so strange to see how seemingly a common thing it is in America (I say that from my tumblr bubble, but so many Americans share that view here)?

i think it's way less common in sweden where I live, but i mean we are also a Hugely smaller country.

like the common culture here is to be like. when if all the parties suck (we have many more than two) it's like. find the least bad and do it. it's not any question about it in the end.

if you skip the election, it's such a embarrassing thing that you wouldn't want to admit it. You get really shamed for it here.

i am really worried about America. i hope y'all pull through and that there's not another drumpf presidency. scary times.

y'all deserve better. the world deserves better.

harris is shitty but less shitty. that's how it is unfortunately now that the overton window has shifted so much right and fascist.

and that, is so clearly in large part due to drumpf, and other countries right wing fascisting it too.

In my country, we have (partially) fascists (and fascist thumpers who acted like they didn't want to work together with them) heading our state. It is not just an American thing.

but America, being so visible on the world stage, is especially influencing other countries.

my countries parties on the right started talking more loud about minimizing abortion rights, minimizing Trans and gay rights, and wanting progress into a more racist police state after drumpfs elections and policies he and the Republicans put in.

Emboldening.

it does affect the whole world. we as a world affect eachother, but America through its violence and colonialization and imperialism has so much power - that it controls and affects a Lot.

Sweden politicians and media and even our people often say or parrot things like 'But we have No choice but to listen and follow America, cause if we get on the bad side of them - it would become chaos and war. Who will protect us against the Russians?'

And so we do atrocities in the name of that. The sweden government and many corporate interests here doesn't want this status quou to change either. they act like they do. total lip service.

Supporting Israel. Violence against protestors, especially brown and Arab protestors.

State media sending Hugely propagandic news favoring Israel, dehumanizing Palestinians, every day.

and it's Not time to give up. We, together, across the world - can and will change things.

One of those things we can change things through is Voting in all elections.

Drumpf and other actors want to limit your rights to vote, it's an important right we need to fight for.

I am so sorry it is the way it is in America - voter registration and how it works - and that it even exists - is so severely damaging.

Here in sweden, you're automatically eligible to vote as soon as you turn 18. No voter registration at all.

(although, i don't know how it works for immigrants or refugees. they are in many ways disenfranchised, esp refugees who are poc. That's another huge issue with Sweden.)

But yea. super Duper don't want drumpf to be anywhere near presidency nor political power either.

pull through americans. don't let your voter right pass you by, when you ou have it. don't let your grief and/or indifference make shit even more catastrophical.

Wow.

I super duper dont want Donald Trump to be in charge of the country again.

Super duper.

[zoe-oneesama]

I also think the recent ep where Mari is scolded for not improving Chloe's behavior as a class rep, is not fair. A class rep is there to be the voice for the students and act as a form of communication, not mentor or educate another child. Mari also became class rep to stop Chloe's bullying, not reform her or give her therapy. I can't believe they (the class) actually gave the class rep position to Lila, even Marinette has done so much for them, and little Miss Liar is only full of hot air. Side eye

The Class Rep thing in "Revelation" was so dumb in all aspects, like, FIRST of all-

Lila cannot seriously be bringing up that it's "undiplomatic" that they held elections without her when she wasn't even going to Francois Dupont yet, are you trying to look me in the face and tell me "Volpina" happened before FREAKING "Darkblade"?! (And obviously no one brings up this fact when she's talking nonsense)

WHY is Bustier even entertaining this garbage when there's two weeks of school left?! Like, sorry Lila, try again in high school if you can even get in with your attendance record. The only things left for the Class Rep to even do is the Student -Teacher Career Course planning which sounds super important and like a really dumb thing to suddenly hand over to two people who haven't been preparing for it in the slightest!

Marinette is running on the "Actually this is pointless, I've done great as a class president because it's actually not my job to change Chloe for the better, especially when Bustier, her parents, and Ladybug herself couldn't get her to pull her head out of her ass, so I'm going to spend my time on things that actually matter and will have results" and legit why does anyone care about "improving Chloe" when in TWO WEEKS they will be at TOTALLY DIFFERENT SCHOOLS and hopefully NEVER have to see her in person again?! Though realistically she should be running on the "we have two weeks left why are we even here" campaign.

And Lila is running on the "Chloe can change if someone just worked with her instead of spending all their time on their own romance like a selfish jerk" platform and the class eats this up just because Chloe is "willing" to be Lila's deputy. Except Lila has been hanging out with and being friends with Chloe since freaking "Penalteam"! And guess who's still an asshole despite your "influence" Lila?! OH RIGHT, YOUR NEW DEPUTY! Hell, "Adoration" JUST happened 3 episodes ago where Chloe was framing Marinette for theft! Your "influence" isn't worth SHIT to anyone paying attention!

Now, Lila's only going for the President role so she can fuck everyone over in "Confrontation", so obviously this stupid campaign was going to happen and Lila was going to win just to set up the Big Bang where Lila exposes herself. Who cares that it stretches suspension of belief past it's limits, that's just the Gold Standard when it comes to Lila schemes.

Anyway, can't wait for her grand plans as The Villain of the next arc. -_-

[eydi-andrius]

What Must It Be Like?

pairings: Aemond Targaryen x Reader

a/n: just a drabble. im so sorry

✨

How can someone be that pretty and at the same time, be totally unaware of it?

You probably have asked this question a million times since the first time you have landed your eyes at him. But you still keep asking this yourself as you watch Aemond interact with the guests and smile dashingly in this party.

His movements are fluid as he walks past the throng of people. His natural charismatic smile enchants not only the ladies and missus, but also their husbands. He led conversations and won their favors. Yet, he claimed himself as unworthy. Of course, God wouldn't create someone so perfect with everything.

You felt the heat run through your cheeks and through your ears when your eyes caught Aemond’s and he suddenly excused himself to Senator Waters before sauntering over to where you're standing.

Your heartbeat was loud, as if wanting to jump out of your chest, the closer he gets and you get a closer look of his slicked back silver hair, pouty lips, strong jaw, and beautiful lilac eyes, which reflects your face, as he looks straight at you.

There is no way someone such as him would look your way and choose you.

“Have you seen my mother? Aegon?” He asked. His brows glistened with sweat. The venue was hot with bright lights and people, it was normal. But god, was he beautiful?

“Oh! Yeah! Yeah! Ummh…Aegon was in that VIP room being scolded by Senator Alicient right now. I think he drank a little too much….again.” You grimaced when you pointed to the room he was held in temporarily. Almost mumbling the word “again”, embarrassed that you have to be the person to inform Aemond of his older brother’s escapade….. again.

Aegon was caught being handsy with a model, in an event hosted by her mother, to gain votes and favor for the next election. You’re just glad he was caught early or else, another scandal would break out, possibly destroying her mother’s already delicate image, just for being a woman in power and position.

You watched as Aemond put his right hand on his temple, massaging his head for comfort, as he whispered words, you can barely hear. By the looks of it, you can tell it was just curse words targeted towards Aegon’s stupidity.

“Please take care of everything for now while I’ll call my mother so she can focus on the event. I’ll deal with Aegon.” He sighed exasperated before he put his hand on your shoulder and squeezed it. It was such an innocent gesture, but to you, it feels heavenly.

Not trusting your words, you nodded, smiling. And when he smiled back, you almost lost it but kept your cool as you watched him walk towards the area you pointed earlier. You bit your tongue, trying to stop yourself from screaming with joy.

✨

“You can flirt and I can't? How's that fair?” Aegon voiced his protest, the moment their mother went out and closed the door.

Aemond stops himself from rolling his eyes. After that scolding, it seems like he learned nothing. How can someone older act so childish, like a six year old in a formal event? His face is flushed so reasoning with him would be useless.

“I see, so despite being scolded, you still choose not to listen.”

“Nah. I just saw a glimpse of it before mother closed the door completely. God! You're hopeless!” Chuckling, he flopped on the nearest couch, and wiggled his way to comfort. His tux is now crumpled and a mess. Probably the reason why he was told not to leave until the event ends. There's too many eyes outside.

She’s smart, pretty and loyal. How can he imagine a life with her by his side? He is unworthy. He will just ruin her.

“Damn, for someone as perfect as you, the perfect son, you look like you could use a wine or two?”

“And what? Become an alcoholic like you?” He retorted.

“Damn, you’ll hurt my feelings, you know.” He said as he clutched his chest, crumpling his white undershirt further.

Sighing, he walked towards the pitcher and fetched his older brother a cup of water. His brow furrowed and lip on a thin line as he cannot imagine that she would choose him over those bachelors outside, who were far better than him.

[mariacallous]

Until she fled Bangladesh on Monday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina governed as if she still had full legitimacy, even as students and protesters had been on the streets for days asking her to resign. The trigger for the demonstrations—civil service job quotas for Bangladeshi freedom fighters and their families—had become a distant memory. Collective anger about years of human rights abuses, corruption, and rigged elections had coalesced into an uprising.

In a conversation over the weekend, Zonayed Saki, the left-leaning leader of the Ganosamhati Andolan party—himself a student activist against military rule in the 1990s—said, “The people’s sentiment is that she has to go first. The government had lost moral and political legitimacy.”

Hasina believed that she was elected democratically. She won an unprecedented fourth term in a flawed vote in January, which most of the major opposition parties had boycotted and the United States, the United Kingdom, and human rights groups criticized for not being free or fair. Still, other major governments congratulated Hasina on the victory. The bureaucracy, the media, the police, and the army were on her side. What could go wrong?

Over the weekend, Hasina declared a curfew again, cut off the internet, and encouraged the youth wing of the ruling Awami League party to take to the streets. Trigger-happy security forces, who were blamed for the deaths of more than 200 people as the protests turned violent in mid-July, were out in full force. Nearly 100 more people died over the weekend, including 14 police officers; video emerged showing security forces shooting point-blank at nonviolent protesters.

Hasina spoke darkly of Islamists spreading terrorism by co-opting the protests, but the students remained undeterred. A long march was announced for Aug. 5 to demand her resignation. Hasina declared a three-day public holiday in response. But by midday Monday, she had resigned, fleeing the country in a helicopter. The first stop would be India and after that an unknown destination.

Meanwhile, the situation on the ground has turned volatile amid the power vacuum. Thousands of demonstrators rushed to the Ganabhaban, the prime minister’s official residence in Dhaka, looting souvenirs and frolicking on the premises. People have also reportedly attacked the home of Bangladesh’s chief justice. There are also reports of the toppling of a statue of Hasina’s father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who led Bangladesh’s independence movement and then ruled the country until he was assassinated in 1975. Mujib’s family home, now a museum, went up in flames in an act of grotesque retribution. These incidents stand in contrast to the disciplined and peaceful demonstrations led by students, who have urged for calm and were seen appealing to the looters to return stolen property.

Bangladesh’s army has called for calm, but it has not yet intervened. The country’s armed forces overthrew elected governments in the 1970s and 1980s and attempted coups in later years. But now, the generals would naturally want to play it safe: They cannot afford to lose the confidence of Bangladeshis and are aware of the deep distrust that Bangladeshis have developed for the armed forces because their political interventions have weakened the country’s democracy.

There is another calculation at play, too: Bangladesh is among the largest suppliers of soldiers to the United Nations peacekeeping forces, and it won’t antagonize the international community by letting its soldiers act at will. (Those peacekeeping arrangements mean the armed forces are less reliant on Bangladesh’s state budget.) In mid-July, when military vehicles with U.N. insignia were deployed on Dhaka’s streets, foreign diplomats rightly complained; Bangladeshi officials gave weak excuses and promised not to use U.N. equipment to settle domestic unrest.

Hasina seemed to have two options: to seek a graceful exit or to dig her heels in and let the troops take all necessary means to protect her regime. In the end, she fled. Where she will settle is unclear. India would pose problems for Prime Minister Narendra Modi; ruling party politicians have routinely criticized undocumented Bangladeshis in India, even creating legislation to identify and possibly deport them. The United Kingdom may be risky for Hasina because while it hosts many Bangladeshi immigrants, they include dissidents forced into exile during her 15-year rule as well as supporters of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

Had Hasina dug in, there would have been bloody consequences. Even if the army had shown restraint toward the protesters, there is no telling if Bangladesh’s notorious border guards or the Rapid Action Battalion—which has faced criticism from human rights groups—would have acted responsibly. There has been violence on both sides, but it has come primarily from the Bangladeshi state. As of Monday, as many as 32 children had died, according to UNICEF.

By stepping aside disgracefully, Hasina leaves chaos in her wake. It is crucial that any interim administration restore order quickly, but it can only do so if it has the backing of the army. A list of bureaucrats, civil society veterans, and others who might form the nucleus of such a government has been released, but the situation is too fluid to consider such lists final. In the early 2000s, Bangladesh had an unelected but legitimate caretaker government to help assist its transition to democracy after a military intervention—which it did, paving the way for Hasina’s election in December 2008.

Hasina has long demonized Bangladesh’s Islamist political forces. But Islamic fundamentalist parties have secured more than 10 percent of the vote only once, in 1991; in all subsequent elections, their vote share has been closer to 5 to 6 percent. Most Bangladeshis are Muslims, but they aren’t extremists; in Bangladeshi American poet Tarfia Faizullah’s famous words, when a Pakistani soldier assaulted a Bengali woman in 1971 and asked her if she was Muslim or Bengali, she defiantly said, “Both.”

The song accompanying many videos of the protests last week was from the pre-Partition poet Dwijendralal Ray, a Hindu, celebrating the golden land of Bengal. To see Bangladesh in binary terms—of Muslim or not Muslim—shows a profound misreading of a complex society. It reveals the myopia of external observers, notably analysts close to the current Indian government, who had invested hugely in Hasina and irrationally fear that an Islamic republic is the only alternative to her rule. In so doing, they frittered away some of the goodwill that India had earned in Bangladesh over the years, particularly for its support during the liberation war.

As a result, the current situation in Bangladesh will complicate things for Modi, Hasina’s close friend. His government had invested hugely in their relationship, aiming to build a trade corridor across Bangladesh and seeking Bangladeshi support to curb separatism in northeastern India. This alienated India from Bangladeshis, who expected New Delhi to defend democratic forces in Dhaka. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, whom Hasina condemned and called a “bloodsucker of the poor,” chided India for not doing enough: South Asia is a family, he said in a recent interview, and when a house is burning, brothers should come and help.

With Hasina fleeing, India has lost an ally it thought it could rely on. The road ahead for Bangladesh will be difficult. Expectations will be high, and the people will want early elections. If those are free and fair, a different Bangladesh can emerge. Whether it will be consistent with the liberal, secular, democratic ethos that Bangladesh’s founders fought for remains to be seen.

[wosoandstuff]

The text claims that to "help" Venezuelans, they're going to block social media so people only see what the government wants them to. Orwell fell short. Venezuela is heading towards becoming another North Korea if we don't act now.

Bro, what more evidence do the ONU and the OEA need to see that the elections were rigged and we're being held captive in our own country?

I can't even use PINTEREST without a VPN! They've banned it! They've blocked MercadoLibre too! LIKE WHAT?!?!?!

We're becoming a South American North Korea. It's like we're living in Ba Sing Se💀 (yes, ATLA reference)

I'm so tired of this. Every day I look forward freedom, this is not fair to any of us, not to Venezuela, not to any innocent person from any country going through a dictatorship

[antimony-medusa]

"There's just something about that guy that means I don't trust him"

Okay so, Phil has got the wrong read of Sunny. I'm gonna start off with that. He thinks they're a confident unconcerned material girl who is comfortable in the fact that their dad loves them, and potentially he thinks that they're a bit older than they are? Whereas people who have been able to see her one-on-one with Tubbo know that she's quite a bit more shy and insecure and young than she puts on! He's been taken in by the facade they're putting on, and I think that's part of why he is making jokes and comments that don't hit well. To understate how yesterday went. I think he botched the interaction with Sunny in the musuem and I hope someone tells him that, so he can apologize and fix that. And to be clear, as a phil viewer, this does interesting character work with Sunny as a sensitive child and I'm in favour of Sunnymin pursuing this line of lore. I'm staring with my little cube guy watching googles looking for the result when Phil realizes he scared a child, with great interest.

Because when you look at the musum one in context, my read is that was phil pivoting badly from an out of lore discussion into "oh hey I can explain something to sunny, who is confident and centred and knows her dad adores her" and then jokingly tried to explain the tallulah experience, and then we know from Sunny signs later that that went over like a ton of bricks. Mistake. However, when we're discussing it, I think it's fair to not have that understanding of the lore though, and to take a more pointed, villainous read of the lore! Go for it with discussing phil as cold and brusque to people who aren't his family, discuss Sunny feeling all alone in the musuem, fill your boots.

But guys, when you're discussing this as meta, I am seeing a lot of tags that are really really eager to paint Phil entirely and unequivocally as a villain and specifically cruel to children and cruel within the family, and there's an element to that that concerns me.

Phil, the cc, the guy, acts working class. He has an accent from a particular part of england that is traditionally working class, but he also has storytelling cadences and humour styles and attitudes towards challenges that are very familiar if you are from a working class or lower income community. I'm from an entirely different continuent, but the area I'm from is the sort of area that people make jokes about, and the whole way Phil acts as a CC is very familiar to me. (Note: even when he's talking about travel or stuff, he still has the "worked retail for a decade" mentality and pays attention to the staff and stuff and what they're doing, check out the brazil storytelling vod.)

And Phil's cubito, when he's not deliberately making a character like osmp crowfather, tends to have the mannerisms of someone who is working class. Even if you're not from a lower income area, I think most people can clock this, subconciously if nothing else. He swears a lot! He banters and roasts his friends and family but would absolutely do anything for them. He's informal in a very specific way.

Which is why when people pivot immediately into "why is he threatening and bullying children again" and "his wicked is showing", and "oh he's a evil stepfather/cruel stepmother" and "can we kill the child abusers now" I go Oh No.

Working class mannerisms are already stereotyped as especially prone to domestic abuse, among other ills. If you are going "oh something about him just always seemed like he would be cruel to children" maybe— push back on that one?

In the same way that during the election I was going "that may not be the play" about americans who didn't know what it was but something about Forever was just so angry and agressive (and they were talking from a perspective that viewed forever as a person of colour, regardless of how he's perceived at home), you might be talking from a perspective that encourages you to interpret Phil's behaviour with children as especially suspect. Potentially. Consider it.

And again, Phil biffed it in the musuem. That was a misstep that had me (autistic) going "oh no I see how you got there but you can all but see the sims negative relationship marker thing pop up". But I'd ask you at least to consider that it wasn't intentional cruelty, and that people can make social missteps before you jump immediately to interpreting their actions in the worst light possible.

[tomorrowusa]

The Trump campaign is puzzled why Puerto Ricans don't like being called "garbage".

Donald Trump has a serious Puerto Rico problem — in Pennsylvania. Many Puerto Rican voters in the state are furious about racist and demeaning comments delivered at a Trump rally. Some say their dismay is giving Kamala Harris a new opening to win over the state’s Latino voters, particularly nearly half a million Pennsylvanians of Puerto Rican descent. Evidence of the backlash was immediate on Monday: A nonpartisan Puerto Rican group drafted a letter urging its members to oppose Trump on election day. Other Puerto Rican voters were lighting up WhatsApp chats with reactions to the vulgar display and raising it in morning conversations at their bodegas. Some are planning to protest Trump’s rally Tuesday in Allentown, a majority-Latino city with one of the largest Puerto Rican populations in the state. And the arena Trump is speaking at is located in the middle of the city’s Puerto Rican neighborhood. “It’s spreading like wildfire through the community,” said Norberto Dominguez, a precinct captain with the local Democratic party in Allentown, who noted his own family is half Republican and half Democratic voters.

Trump is speaking at a rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania. An appropriate protest would be to leave bags of garbage there with TRUMP written on them.

Schools are being closed in Allentown on Tuesday – but not to honor Trump.

And in a sign of how worried local residents are, a school district in Allentown announced Monday morning that it had canceled classes for Tuesday, when Trump visits.

Did the Trump campaign understand that there are over 400,000 people of Puerto Rican descent in Pennsylvania before its orgy of anti-Latino hatred at MSG on Sunday?

“I’m not a Republican, I’m not a Democrat, I’m independent,” Lugo said. “But at this point, it’s not about political, partisan issues. It is about the respect and honor our Puerto Ricans and Latinos deserved as citizens and legal residents of this country, that’s the issue.” “We held Trump and his campaign responsible for this disgraceful act,” he added. State Rep. Danilo Burgos, co-chair of the “Latinos con Harris” group in Pennsylvania, said residents have spread the comments on social media and within Philadelphia’s Puerto Rican community. “I saw two ladies in particular saying they were considering voting for Trump, but they’re not now,” he said, “because of the comments.”

When a candidate treats you like garbage, it's only fair to respond in kind.

[mugiwara-lucy]

Like Chris Keller in One Tree Hill would say…”Well, well, well!”. What’s this? The party of “Law and Order” resorting to trickery to try and win an election?

All kidding aside, this just goes to how the claims of Trump being “barely behind Kamala” from the Media is the Media being the Media and Trump could be doing WORSE than what’s reported. Think about it; hearing that the potential first black woman presidential candidate is neck and neck with a former president? That sells like hot cakes!!

But like I’ve said NUMEROUS times; POLLS DON’T VOTE. WE DO. VOTE LIKE HELL on November 5th!!!

And not to mention, if Trump was doing as well as he claimed, why would he bitching DAILY on Truth Social and why would Republicans be purging voter registrations left and right along with having those BS road blocks to vote such as “The Save Act”, trying to make Nebraska a “Winner Take All” and trying to have Georgia handcount their ballots? The first two got thrown out and I’m sure Georgia is contesting that since it’s nonsense.

But yeah why don’t we show them how to win an election with FAIRNESS and INTEGRITY? Here’s the link to register to vote and if you already haven’t in some states voting registration ends TOMORROW so get on it if you haven’t!! Also here are the deadlines by state! But your own vote isn’t enough! Get as many people as you can to vote for Kamala be it your friends, cousins, parents, grandparents, old friends from high school and college, coworkers, boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives, stepchildren (if they’re 18 and over) and the list goes on and on but every vote counts! Here’s the link and deadlines by state!

And early voting has started! And if you don’t wanna vote on November 5th, that’s another option! Like I said get as many people as you can and try early voting! Here’s the link down below listing the dates by state:

And Mail in Ballots are ANOTHER option I highly recommend!! And like I said get as many people as you can to take advantage of this option!

Here’s the link below:

The part of law and order?

My ass

[drdemonprince]

TV Glow was devastating. incredibly effective visually, thematically, and performance-wise. Schoenbrun has leveled up in a major way since World's Fair, which I felt like I was five years too old for, both in terms of references and from having seen too much weird shit in this life to be impressed by her version of what's "scary" online.

This movie was far more creatively ambitious and emotionally resonance -- it having a bigger budget certainly helped stretch its legs, and Schoenbrun used it to its fullest.

Justice Smith's acting made me want to cry. He shows a true reverence for the material that few cis actors would; far from viewing the character as a little exercise, he transforms into her discomfort and sadness. His little voice warbles and the way his face softens with hope at a few crucial moments made my heart break for him, knowing already that the dreams he'd barely let himself hold onto would never come true.

I can't believe an Emma Stone produced wide release movie is about transgender egg drama here in 2024. jarring for something that once felt so private and esoteric to be broadly relatable to audiences now. it's fitting, given the movie is about a mass-release TV show that a handful of tender freaks think must be about something so much more than this world would ever let it be. kind of a funny trick there.

is this a movie about depressed isolated queer people whose minds curdle around a random media property because loneliness makes the brain turn inward and eat itself? or is it the tragic tale of a woman who never realized her destiny and allowed the matrix to keep plugging her repeatedly back in?

you can read it both ways at once and it's best if you do. some equipped with fandom goggles with elect to see it only in the more fantastical light.

There are already dozens of people coming out as transgender for the first time in their lives in the Letterboxd reviews of this film, saying they recognize their repression in Owen, their egg at last busted open by this heartbreaking tale of a life unfulfillingly lived. I get it -- before I transitioned, the same thing happened to me with Casey Plett's incredible story collection, A Safe Girl to Love. There is something painfully enchanting about the forever-unrealized trans person whose suffering we imagine would be escapable if only they could admit who they are.

But what do you do when you have overcome your fear of being "crazy," left your old world behind, and passed through that veil to become the person you were always meant to be, only to find that you are still stoop-shouldered and awkward, still overlooked with your heart cut out of you, apologizing to others for your asthma in between your death rattles? What if you never get all the poison out? After you figure out you're a hero from another dimension, what will you do if you can never get back?

I find myself asking these things, as a person who used to fantasize that transitioning would solve all my problems. The imagined future transitioned me felt so distant that it was easy to push him off. And then after years passed, when I finally reached out to claim him, I discovered he was just as awkward, lonesome, insecure, and unhappy as I was, because he was just me. If i'd always been transgender, then I'd always been unhappy for deeply transgender reasons back then, too, and I'd already known a whole lot more about what it meant to be me than I'd thought that I had. Fantasies had been a seductive distraction from the world that was trying to kill me, and they suffocated me whether I denied them or if I believed in them.

This is a movie about fantasies, and the suburbs, and about being transgender. And it's bleak, but I think some who are on the cusp of making the same realizations as Owen can't fully know why yet. Life on the other side of knowing is more liveable, but I can't explain why. It didn't make things better. It wasn't the great escape I had hoped. But it did force me to confront who I was and how many monsters there always had been all around me. And that's better than living in a fantasy.

[xxdrowninglessonsxx]

DNI IF ANGRY AT WHAT I HAVE TO SAY OR YOU WILL BE BLOCKED. SICK OF THE HARASSMENT.

Two months ago people would have been hyping me up for criticizing the two-party system, but now I just get comments telling me how I’m the reason trans people don’t have rights or why other minorities don’t have rights. I’m trans, 22 years old, and live in Appalachia. I can promise you I’m not the reason trans people don’t have rights. We don’t have rights because society is rigged against us. We don’t have rights because we never have. We don’t have rights because the candidates we vote for to give us rights, never do what is promised. They rarely fulfill their campaign promises, so why would I want to support someone who has no intention of actually helping me or the other people they claim to want to help? Just so we can be “comfortable” for another 4 years until we get to the 4th year and wonder why no change was made and why we have to pick between 2 evils again?

Just because I question the system we live in and actually stand up for what I believe in, doesn’t make me complicit in my own suffering. Actually, it’s quite the opposite. Get a life and stop harassing trans people and other minorities for not following blindly to whatever bullshit you spew while simultaneously using them to prop up your stance. It’s actually kind of fucked up. I vote in my local elections and the primaries. Never have I once said I wasn’t going to vote, and the people insinuating that don’t know me as a person in real life. You sit behind a computer screen arguing for the sake of arguing. Just because I don’t know who I’m voting for for sure, doesn’t make me the devil, and trying to force and harass other people into going along with “VOTE BLUE NO MATTER WHO” only makes you look worse. You’re allowed to vote for whoever you want for, just as much as I am. It’s almost like that’s the point of voting. You’re allowed to announce who you’re voting for or what your stances are; it’s almost like that’s in the 1st amendment. You’re fed up. I’m fed up. We have the same goals but different ways of going about it.

I’ve held the exact stance that the two-party system is shit for years, and never have I ever been more attacked than by Harris supporters. I haven’t ever had a republican come on my page to guilt trip me about my own identity and tell me I’m the reason that my community is in jeopardy, but you democrats sure love to attack minorities who want change just as bad as you when they don’t fully agree with you. Or you use trans rights to make a lame point, despite the fact you’re literally using someone’s identity against them in order to make them feel bad for not following your specific pick for president who literally supports genocide just as much as the other one does. Please spare me the bullshit on how Trump is worse and plans to take our rights away. We as a collective know. I voted for Biden in the previous election. What’s to stop Trump from running again in the next one if he loses this one? It’s clear his age won’t stop him.

Some people need time to grapple with what’s at stake in this election, and it’s not fair to bombarde them with hate in order to convince them to make a choice when both parties go against their morals and have gone against their morals. Hate and the “better than thou” attitude is the exact reason they don’t like your cause.

I’m sick of people acting like voting blue for President will prevent the end of the world or whatever the fuck you think. Other elections matter as well, not just presidential. Democrats love to sit comfortably while their President is in office, so comfortably that they forget that organizing for change matters. They forget that we should be lobbying for ranked choice voting. They forget that we should be lobbying against the electoral college.

Have you taken a look at your candidate’s benefactors recently? Do you know any response other than, “Well, what do you suppose we do about it?” when asked about Palestine’s plight? How should I know? I’m a lower-class person who makes about $10,000 a year with no voice but my vote. I’ve emailed and called my representatives. I’ve done all I can do. I’ve donated what little money I can to causes I believe in. It’s not my job to step up. I have been stepping up. It’s our politicians job to step up. It’s the billionaires who fund our politicians who need to step up.

It’s not anyone but your candidate’s fault if they lose in the election. Quit blaming the innocent people who do nothing but work their asses off just to scrape by into being complicit with you and your corporate-controlled parties who only want to pass whatever agenda will make them the most money. The parties who allow the rich to get richer while the poor get poorer. Y’all loved saying Palestine was your red line when Biden was running, but suddenly everything is different now? It doesn’t make sense to me, and it must be fun being privileged enough to jump from one cause to the next as trends cycle because you don’t live in Palestine, and it doesn’t effect you. You are not immune to propaganda just as much as I am not immune.

“A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything.” - Malcom X

That being said, I understand the appeal of voting for Kamala and why you would. I understand the fear. I experience the fear every single day. So go out, vote, and use your voice. Stop making others feel bad. Going after the people who relatively agree with you is not helping your cause, it is hurting it, and it will be what causes you to lose the election.

[invisibleicewands]

Actor and debt campaigner Michael Sheen has joined calls for the government to pass legislation to help tackle the crisis of unaffordable credit and problem debt in the UK. In 2022- 2023, more than 9 million were declined for credit, with millions relying on pay-day-lenders and buy-now-pay-later schemes with high interest rates. At its worst, lack of access to affordable credit means hundreds of thousands of people find themselves turning to loan sharks, while viable businesses remain stuck, unable to develop and create jobs. Campaigners are calling for a Fair Banking Act to help ensure that everyone can access essential financial services and support. 

Speaking at an event in Parliament on Monday, Sheen said:

“Anyone can find themselves in a place where they need credit to make ends meet or to get through a difficult time. The lack of affordable credit for people on lower-incomes is harming individuals and families, but also businesses and communities. Whole regions are seeing their growth held back. We can’t keep waiting and hoping that things will get better. We need something to change now. The Fair Banking Act could be the thing which really makes the difference”.  

The event in parliament was organised by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Fair Banking, alongside the Fair Banking for All Campaign – a group including credit unions, Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs), fintechs, charities and policy experts who are calling for a Fair Banking Act to help increase access to affordable credit. MPs, peers and financial regulators were among the attendees. 

Lloyd Hatton MP, chair of the APPG, said:

“We need a Fair Banking Act to help increase affordable lending in every corner of the country, ensure small businesses have access to the financial support they need, and guarantee that nobody is financially excluded by the mainstream banks. Only then will we deliver sustained economic growth across the whole of the UK.”

Before the election, Labour announced that financial inclusion would be a priority for them in government, with plans being developed for a comprehensive national Financial Inclusion Strategy. The Fair Banking for All Campaign is calling for a Fair Banking Act to be a central pillar of this strategy, to help grow the responsible finance sector. The idea is based on a successful example from the US, where similar legislation has successfully increased access to financial services and support for people on low-incomes and from marginalised communities. 

As well as leading mainstream banks to improve their own provision of affordable credit for underserved communities, the proposed legislation would also incentivise partnerships between high-street banks and institutions such as credit unions and CDFIs, which are often best placed to provide tailored services that meet the needs of individuals and small businesses who have been turned down by larger institutions. 

Recently published research from the Fair Banking for All Campaign estimated that a Fair Banking Act in the UK could increase fair and affordable lending to individuals by £2bn a year – equivalent to the total amount owed to loan sharks. This would help to pull the rug out from under the illegal lending market, by providing people with a safe and affordable alternative when they’re in urgent need. Additional support to small businesses could create or maintain just under 10,000 jobs over five years, including in some of the most economically deprived parts of the country – where small businesses currently find it hardest to get loans from high street banks.

Robert Kelly, chief executive of the Association of British Credit Unions Ltd, was another of the speakers at the event. He said: 

“We need more humanity in our banking system. At a time when more and more people need access to affordable credit, their options are becoming more and more limited. People are being turned down by high-street banks because of their income level or credit score, and so they’re turning to high-cost credit or illegal lending. Credit unions give them an alternative. The sector continues to serve communities and employers across the country at record levels through the provision of ethical and responsible products and services. There’s so much demand out there for this kind of alternative – but we need a Fair Banking Act so we can grow to meet that demand, and help millions more people”

Theodora Hadjimichael, chief executive of Responsible Finance which represents CDFIs in the UK, said:

“Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs) invest into underserved places and people, unlocking potential for businesses, social enterprises and households. For economic growth to happen, we need lenders that get to know businesses and understand people’s lives, make fair lending decisions that take these into account, and offer affordable finance, and incentives to ensure that growing demand for affordable, ethical, credit can be met. That’s why Responsible Finance is part of the campaign calling for a Fair Banking Act”.

[thelampisaflashlight]

Strange Bedfellows Pt. 1: Moving In

[Drywall won the fic poll, so here's a short introduction to this new series, in which Mountain and Dew navigate being roommates.] Below the cut.

Ever since the ghouls' den was built, there had always been open rooms; The ministry wanted to ensure that there was enough space for everyone, and part of that meant making sure each member of the pack had their own accommodations, even if they elected to share them with others.

For a number of years, this was not a problem -there weren't nearly as many ghouls wandering the halls of the abbey, and several of the "old guard" had abandoned their corporeal forms when their tenure was complete, meaning they didn't require much of anything, let alone a place to sleep- however, in the time since Copia's ascension to the leader of the band and then to Papa and further still to Frater Imperator, the number of ghouls remaining in their physical bodies had increased significantly.

And, now, watching Aeon bed down on the couch in the common room for the night, it was obvious space had simply... run out.

Aurora had lucked out and gotten Sunshine's room after the ghoulette left the church, but her reluctance to share it had been apparent from the moment it was suggested, and no one could fault her for wanting her privacy.

But from a practical standpoint... Aeon needed a room with an actual bed, both because having the common room acting as his bedroom meant no one could really use it after a certain time, and because Aeon deserved just as much privacy as the rest of them, especially as the new summons adjusted to their new vessels and life on the surface.

To further complicate matters, Aeon was also put off by the idea of sharing a room with someone else, not because he disliked the thought of bunking with another person outright, but rather because the poor quint could be... restless... at night.

It hadn't taken more than a night on the surface in his new vessel for the pack to discover that the younger ghoul was a sleepwalker.

The discovery had been mortifying for Aeon, and, ever since, he'd been vocal about wanting a room with a room with a lock on the door, afraid that he might get himself lost even as he steadily got used to the layout of the dorms; All it would take is one open door and he could wind up outside, and that scared him most of all.

But therein lies the rub; There was simply no way to build a new room downstairs.

When they remodeled the ghouls' den some years ago, they had maximized the space as much as they could, but that had also meant rearranging beams and adding immovable walls and pillars to support the weight of the building on top of them.

It had taken six months to complete and cost the ministry a pretty penny to have it done, so there was no way even Copia -who loved his ghouls immensely- would spring for another huge construction project, especially when the next project on the docket was renovating and repairing the defunct west wing of the abbey.

During a majority of the back and forth on what to do about the lack of space -from finding a room for Aeon upstairs with the siblings to trying to convince the groundskeeper to let the ghoul stay with her in the cottage for a time (a firm "No.")- Mountain had remained quiet, watching the others throw ideas around as if the solution wasn't obvious.

"I could share with someone." He'd said finally, raising his hand when he saw Aeon curling into himself, not wanting to inconvenience anyone, "My room is a double, so it would only be fair."

Like Aurora, Mountain had inherited his room from another ghoul, Zephyr to be specific, but the circumstances had been slightly different; The older ghoul's vessel was unstable, slowly deteriorating the longer they remained trapped within it, so they had been given the biggest available room with a wonderful view of the ghouls' private courtyard so they could spend their final days comfortably.

When the air ghoul was close to the end, Mountain had made it a point to bring them outside and lay them down in the grass, to bring them flowers when they couldn't leave their bed, and to simply make his presence known to the other in the moments where it was clear they just needed a hand to hold...

He and Zephyr... they'd never been close; They'd been acquaintances at best, but because of the wishes of someone else, Mountain had made sure Zephyr never felt alone.

That person, the one who begged him to stay by Zephyr's side had been-

"Finally, a chance to get out of that fucking shoebox."

-Dew.

"Aeon can have my old room." the hybrid announced, "It's small, but it's better than nothing."

And just like that, Mountain and Dew were officially made roommates.

.

.

.

Moving all of Dew's belongings into his room hadn't taken any time at all, the most tedious part of it all had been gathering up the ghoul's extensive t-shirt collection... and not entirely because of the volume.

"You have the same band t-shirt in three different sizes..." Mountain scoffs, holding up the offending piece of fabric for a third time, "Do you like the design that much, or did you just steal them from other people's laundry, because this one is definitely a double XL-"

Dew swats him with a sock, "Oi, that's the one I wear the most!"

Mountain holds the shirt up, doing a one to one comparison, then holds it out to Dew, "Your dress, sir-"

"Sleep shirt! I use it as a sleep shirt, Einstein!" Dew hisses, snatching it away, "Excuse me for liking to be comfortable."

The earth ghoul hums and pulls another piece of clothing from the pile on Dew's bed.

"So you're really okay with sharing with me?" he asks, turning to look at Dew as the other works on rolling up a pair of socks, "You don't have to give up your room..."

The shorter ghoul snorts, "Dude, getting out of this room is all I've wanted to do since I moved into it. Aeon'll probably curse me for giving him my room instead of somebody else offering up theirs, it's cramped, it doesn't have room for anything, and the one window it has might as well be painted on because it doesn't open."

"I'm glad to be rid of it, and if the consequences of having more space is moving in with you, I think I'll be just fine." he continues, tossing his socks into the bin, "Plus, it's not like I haven't roomed with someone before. Aeth and me were roommates up until our first tour together, remember?"

Mountain nods, "I remember you complaining about his snoring, and he'd argue that you were worse, because you wouldn't leave the room to fart-"

"At least the smell went away after a while, his honk shooing ass would go on and on for hours..." Dew interrupts.

"-and then would laugh about it, because you think farts are the funniest thing in the world." Mountain finishes.

"Farts are top tier comedy, and I'm tired of pretending they're not."

"Well, thank the lord below I have so many plants, they'll save us both from you off-gassing constantly."

"Hmph."

As the pair fall back into silence, sorting through Dew's laundry, they both feel a sense of calm.

A bit of casual bickering aside, the two have always gotten along fine; They've been friends for years, having joined the church around the same time, albeit under different circumstances, along with Aether, they'd developed an inseparable bond.

They were comfortable around each other, so it was unsurprising that, of all the ghouls to board together, they would be the ones to do it.

That being said, the rest of the pack seemed to be waiting with bated breath for... something.

Even if Mountain and Dew weren't readily aware of it themselves, there was a certain... tension... between them; The sort that made itself obvious in the way Mountain could pull a pair of Dew's underwear from the pile of laundry on his bed and not even think twice about it, having folded half a dozen pairs already, and how Dew didn't even bat an eyelash seeing him do it.

Perhaps tension isn't the right word; Tension would make more sense if Mountain felt even remotely flustered handling Dew's undergarments that came in varying degrees of scandalous, or if Dew felt some kind of way about seeing the earth ghoul's big, calloused hands holding the silk briefs he'd gotten as a gag gift a year ago and actually wore more often than not, because they felt nice.

No.

There wasn't anything like that going on, certainly not with how calmly they're both carrying on with the task at hand.

Not that Mountain's ears are turning pink with every brush of the soft fabric against his fingertips...

As far as the two are concerned, this is just a normal, casual thing to do that holds no extra baggage at all...

...Fuck.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Steven Beschloss at America, America:

In the last few days, I have received a number of messages from readers who told me they are disengaging. “I am retiring from politics,” one said. “I’m avoiding the news,” said another. And this: “I’m too old for another Trump term and do not want to even see anything political for a long time. Steven, I’ve enjoyed your content, but in order to live to 78 [I’m] going cold turkey on politics.”

I get it. Trump’s emphatic win and Harris’ loss is heartbreaking, especially after all the effort so many of us have made to achieve a different outcome. This defeat is made harder by the awareness of the dark and disturbing days to come with Donald Trump back in the White House. There are many high-profile critics who are wondering about their safety now in a world where Trump fanatics like Steve Bannon echo his leader’s fervor for retribution by promising “rough justice.” It would be a mistake to assume that Trump wasn’t serious with all his violent, vengeance-inciting verbiage. Anyone who assumes the next Attorney General will act with the reluctance and politeness of Merrick Garland toward the ex-president—resulting in his not being held account for inciting a deadly insurrection on Jan. 6—is sorely underestimating Donald Trump’s endless capacity for cruelty, attraction to carnage and hunger to punish anyone who crosses him. But it would be a misfortune if many of us meet the coming months only with fear and reluctance, disengaging from the necessary opposition to Trump’s authoritarian enterprise. That’s what Trump hopes to achieve with his angry, aggressive intimidation.

It’s appalling to see how the billionaires have quickly fallen in line. This arrived yesterday from Washington Post and Amazon owner Jeff Bezos, who spinelessly deep-sixed his newspaper’s endorsement of Kamala Harris: “Big congratulations to our 45th and now 47th President on an extraordinary political comeback and decisive victory,” he posted on what was Twitter. “No nation has bigger opportunities. Wishing Donald Trump all success in leading and uniting the America we all love.” In a normal world, of course, that would read like a warm and magnanimous gesture, not a kowtowing plea from a self-interested businessman who fears the consequences of crossing Trump. And he was not alone.

Meta/Facebook owner Mark Zuckerburg, who’s been threatened with prison by Trump, posted this on his social media site, Threads: “Congratulations to President Trump on a decisive victory. We have great opportunities ahead of us as a country. Looking forward to working with you and your administration.” So again: I get it if you’re feeling utterly discouraged and doubtful if you should stay involved. If the billionaires are rolling over, why should anyone take any risks? That’s understandable, especially in the wake of this awful defeat, and a reason why some of us will choose to disconnect. But I urge you to take to heart the closing words of President Joe Biden yesterday in graciously accepting the election’s outcome: “Setbacks are unavoidable, but giving up is unforgivable…We are going to be OK, but we need to stay engaged.” I also urge you to listen to every word of Kamala Harris’ concession speech Wednesday from Howard University (you can watch it here). I was particularly interested in her guidance as we look forward.

“While I concede this election,” she said, “I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign—the fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness and the dignity of all people. A fight for the ideals at the heart of our nation, the ideals that reflect America at our best. That is a fight I will never give up.” She also talked about not giving up the fight for reproductive freedom, for protecting our schools and streets from gun violence, and for democracy, the rule of law and equal justice. “And we will continue to wage this fight in the voting booth, in the courts and in the public square. And we will also wage it in quieter ways: in how we live our lives by treating one another with kindness and respect, by looking in the face of a stranger and seeing a neighbor, by always using our strength to lift people up, to fight for the dignity that all people deserve.” We will need to hear more thoughts like this as Trump and his enablers drag us through their world of hostility and degradation. The vice president made a particular plea to young people, including students in the audience from Howard, a historically Black university: “To the young people who are watching, it is OK to feel sad and disappointed. But please know it's going to be OK…Don’t ever give up. Don’t ever stop trying to make the world a better place…the fight for our country is always worth it.”

[...] I will not give up the effort to pursue a better, more just, more equal, more democratic, more decent and kind America. It will take plenty of energy and effort to keep clear about what is true and what is false, what is right and wrong, what is normal and what is insane—and to inform myself and you about what’s happening and what we might do about it.

The temptation is there to disengage., but it’s the definitive time to stay in the fight.

[darkmaga-returns]

James Bovard

Oct 20, 2024

According to President Joe Biden’s Justice Department, it is now a federal crime to prevent illegal ballots in presidential elections. 

Barely 30 days before the 2024 election, the Justice Department sued the state of Virginia to prohibit its removal of the names of noncitizens from voting rolls. Gov. Glenn Youngkin was enforcing a 2006 Virginia law, but the Biden administration portrayed that action as an attack on “the cornerstone of our democracy.” Youngkin denounced the federal lawsuit as “a desperate attempt to attack the legitimacy of the elections” in Virginia.

The Virginia lawsuit is simply the latest in Democrats’ long war against honest voting, which began with the Clinton administration’s Motor Voter Act. That 1993 law mandated voter registration in every welfare and food-stamp office in the nation. Brent Thompson, executive director of the Fair Government Foundation, observed in 1996, “The Motor Voter law did away with a panoply of anti-fraud mechanisms long relied on by the states to police and deter fraudulent voting.”

In 2015, the Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton condemned voter identification requirements as part of a “sweeping effort to disempower and disenfranchise people of color, poor people and young people.” A Washington Post headline aptly summarized her message: “Hillary Clinton Declares War on Voter ID.” Verifying identification was unnecessary because, as long as enough ballots showed up with a check by Hillary’s name, she would be irrevocably entitled to all the power she could seize in the following four years. 

[contemplatingoutlander]

Cause | Biden-Harris 2024

This is a new Biden-Harris campaign ad, which is focused on the fight to save our democratic republic. Below is the transcript:

JOE BIDEN: I've made the preservation of American democracy the central issue of my presidency. I believe in free and fair elections and the right to vote fairly and have your vote counted. Now something dangerous happened in America. There's an extremist movement that does not share the basic beliefs in our democracy. All of us are being asked right now: What will we do to maintain our democracy? History's watching. The world is watching. Most important, our children and grandchildren will hold us responsible. The Vice president and I have supported voting rights since day one of this Administration, and I ask every American to join me in this cause. America is still a place of possibilities where the power resides with “We the People.” That's our soul. We are the United States of America. There is nothing beyond our capacity when we act together. I'm Joe Biden and I approve this message.

[anamericangirl]

Whelp, only 3 months left for the Dems to spin a story around a new candidate. Turns out saying Biden was completely competent and healthy for years now despite all evidence to the contrary just couldn’t cut it anymore…

Yeah so much for “vote blue no matter who” huh? Turns out they only mean that when they think they can win.

And the media acting like suddenly Biden is mentally incompetent like we haven’t know that for years lol.

But Kamala Harris is literally a nightmare. If this is a fair election Trump can easily beat her because no one likes her and no one wants her. She was the least popular Democratic candidate when she ran so of course she’s just climbing her way to the top in other ways. Like she’s done her whole political career since she can’t do it through competence and being a person people actually want in office.