#Global Issues To Consider In 2023

[myrefersofficial]

Global Issues We Must Acknowledge In 2023

In 2022, there was a significant and sudden decrease in worldwide collaboration. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia violated the United Nations Charter and put the lives of millions in danger. It also expedited a series of interconnected global issues and cascaded one into another in food, fuel, and energy. 

The pandemic caused by COVID-19 continued to wreak havoc worldwide, and fresh research revealed just how catastrophic the pandemic has been, even beyond the disastrous effects it has had on our health. The spread of false information and disinformation posed direct and immediate dangers to the well-being of communities and political institutions. 

After hitting record levels in 2022, concentrations of greenhouse gases continued to grow. Additionally, scores of natural disasters, including significant floods and hurricanes, contributed to the need for humanitarian assistance. The global economic crises have nearly completely wiped out humanity by penetrating families and personal finances. 

The year 2023 will mark the halfway point to the year 2030. During that time, there will be a series of important reviews to determine where we stand with ambitious global agreements on topics such as sustainable development, climate change, gender equity, financing, natural disasters, and universal health coverage, to name only a few.

To make the most of the chance, we must conduct an open and honest evaluation of our current situation. However, when taken as a whole, these reviews will present an opportunity to build political momentum, make bold new commitments, and form inclusive coalitions. 

Top 5 Global Issues To Consider In 2023

#1 Worsening Climate Crisis

Worsening climate crises is one of the major global issues of the world. At COP 27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, new finance mechanisms, including a “loss and damage” facility for countries currently suffering from climate change, were agreed upon, advancing climate justice. In 2022, this and the Secretary-Early General’s Warnings for All project addressed climate change’s disproportionate impact on developing nations. 

Despite conflicts between developed and developing nations, countries at COP 15 on biodiversity resolved to safeguard at least 30% of the world’s lands, inland waters, coastal areas, and oceans by 2030. The World Meteorological Organization’s Provisional State of the Global Climate predicts rising emissions this year. 

Climate adaptation must be prioritized after 2022’s natural disasters, especially Pakistan’s flooding. At COP 28, governments are anticipated to agree to a new global adaptation objective. COP 28 will conclude the first Paris Agreement Global Stocktake. Member States had until COP 28 to settle key features of the “loss and damage” facility negotiated this year. 

#2 COVID-19’s After Effects 

The Omicron variety caused a global COVID-19 pandemic in 2022, with over 300 million cases. The global issue of epidemic has killed 6.6 million people. COVAX, the UN-led global initiative to expedite equitable access to COVID-19 vaccinations, showed new expressions of solidarity, but vaccine access remains shamefully unequal.

72.8% of high-income and 28.9% of low-income countries had gotten at least one dosage by December 2022. COVID-19 also hurts immunization initiatives. Immunization coverage fell from 86% in 2019 to 81% in 2021. In 2022, Mpox spread to almost 80,000 cases. Policymakers, healthcare providers, and others battled health misinformation.

Countries started negotiating a new pandemic treaty this year to improve pandemic preparedness and response. Global health funding also improved this year. A Pandemic Fund helps low- and middle-income countries prepare for pandemics. In 2023, countries will negotiate a pandemic pact for May 2024. 

In May, countries agreed to significantly increase the proportion of flexible and predictable financing available to the World Health Organization, and a global pledging conference for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria raised more than $15.6 billion, the largest amount ever raised by a multilateral health fund.

#3 Controlled Global Development

Throughout the past two generations, the global GDP has quadrupled, practically every country has become richer, and more than a billion people have escaped extreme poverty. The Covid-19 outbreak, the Russia-Ukraine war, and the spike in global inflation have all contributed to a reversal of that progress that mutually reinforced one another. 

As a result of the erosion of economic and political gains, billions of people will be in a more precarious position in 2023. There will be a reduction in the size of the global middle class, followed by increased political instability within nations. There is far too much riding on the outcome to go with any other option.

#4 Acute Food Shortages

According to the 2022 Global Report on Food Crises, the number of people experiencing food insecurity is at an all-time high. Acute food insecurity affected up to 193 million people worldwide in 2021, representing an increase of about 40 million individuals compared to the previous year’s total. Shortage of food is one of the major global issues throughout the world. 

The causes include “economic shocks,” such as a surge in the price of food on a worldwide scale. Domestic food price inflation also skyrocketed in countries with low per capita incomes. There is little doubt that international collaboration will be tested in new ways, and the sense of urgency required to reach the deadlines set for 2030 will become even more apparent. 

#5 Cyber Security Threats

The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2022 highlighted cybersecurity vulnerabilities as a potential concern. It is the increasing adoption of digital technology, partly prompted by COVID-19. The likelihood of cyberattacks occurring in several “advanced economies” has recently increased. 

Attacks caused by malware and ransomware saw increases of 358% and 435%, respectively, in the year 2020. It is due to several factors, including inadequate governance and improved means of assault. Attacks on computer networks have weakened public trust. As nations increasingly rely on digitization, their cybersecurity measures must maintain pace.

Conclusion

To make the most of the chances available in 2023, it will be necessary to take a straightforward and truthful look at the areas in which the world has veered off course without allowing oneself to become disheartened by the magnitude of the problem. As the humanitarian, health, and climatic crises continue to worsen, global leaders will have to choose solidarity.

Governments must take action for people and the earth in ways that have never been done before. The globe will continue to struggle with the widespread ramifications of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and COVID-19’s long tail in 2023, and these crises will impact the whole world. In this regard, 2022 has established several solid bases.

[heritageposts]

[...] The Zionist Left in Israel is in a limbo. On the one hand, it is ostracized by Jewish society as, at best, being naïve and, at worst, as being accused of betrayal. This is in reaction to their support for the two-state solution and the call to end the occupation. This alienation, of course, is now more acute after the events of October 7. On the other hand, they are not considered, and rightly so, genuine allies of the Palestinian liberation struggle. The Israeli Left’s biggest hope was that the Global Left, as they call it, would share the same language and attitude regarding the October 7 operation by Hamas; namely to be unconditionally behind Israel. The Israeli Left was outraged that, in the eyes of the Global Left, the Hamas operation did not absolve Israel from its past criminal policies nor did it provide Israel with a green light for its genocidal policies in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. To their great surprise, the Global Left in its entirety was galvanized behind the call to “Stop the War” and “Free Palestine”, rather than echoing their government’s repeated response of “We support Israel’s right to defend itself”. What is most illuminating – in the dialogue the liberal Zionists have with themselves on the pages of Haaretz – is their vicious attack on any one associating colonialism with Israel. For some reason, they chose Judith Butler as the main culprit, which would leave many of us disappointed, as we devoted our careers to frame Zionism as settler colonialism, probably going back to the 1960s. In fact, today, the framing of Zionism and Israel as a settler-colonial project is a consensual issue among all the leading scholars on the Middle East, and it is rejected as an accurate paradigm only among mainstream Israeli academia. The Global Left is guilty of two ‘sins’, in the eyes of the liberal Zionists: one, it refers to Israel as a settler-colonial state and two, it provides a context for the Hamas attack on October 7.

. . . continues at Palestine Chronicles (16 Nov., 2023)

[waitmyturtles]

(Source)

The Lower House (House of Representatives) will be hearing Thailand’s marriage equality bill at 9:30 am Bangkok time (10:30 pm Eastern for those of us in the States). The bill, if passed, would still have to be approved in Thailand’s Senate.

(Source and source)

Below the fold is Bloomberg.com's report on the happenings (source):

Bill to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage in Thailand Heads to Parliament

Bill is supported by most major parties, needs king approval

Thailand would be first in region to codify marriage equality

By Patpicha Tanakasempipat, March 26, 2024 at 2:00 PM PDT

A bill to legalize same-sex marriage could face a vote in Thailand’s parliament as early as Wednesday. If it passes, the country will be the first in Southeast Asia to establish marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples.

The House of Representatives will take up the legislation, technically an amendment to the Civil and Commercial Code, for second and third readings when it meets at 9 a.m. Lawmakers may vote later in the day.

The bill would legalize marriage for same-sex partners aged 18 and above, along with rights to inheritance, tax allowances and child adoption, among others. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s administration has made it a signature issue, and advocates say it would also burnish Thailand’s reputation as an LGBTQ-friendly tourist destination.

Taiwan and Nepal are the only places in Asia that currently recognize same-sex marriage, and recent efforts elsewhere in the region have had mixed results. Hong Kong has yet to comply with a 2023 court order to establish laws recognizing same-sex partnerships, and India’s Supreme Court refused to legalize same-sex marriage, saying it’s an issue for parliament to consider.

The Thai bill would change the composition of a marriage from “a man and a woman” to “two individuals,” and change the official legal status from “husband and wife” to “married couple.”

Thai laws have protected LGBTQ people from most kinds of discrimination since 2015, but attempts to formalize marriage rights have stalled. In 2021, the Constitutional Court upheld the law recognizing marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman. Last year, a bill to recognize same-sex civil partnerships failed to clear parliament ahead of elections.

Rights advocates have higher hopes for the bill pending now, noting that it has broad support from most of the major parties. If it passes, it will need to be approved by the Senate and endorsed by the King. Then it would be published in the Royal Gazette and take effect 120 days later.

Srettha’s government has also promised to work on a bill to recognize gender identity, and the health ministry has also proposed legalizing commercial surrogacy to allow LGBTQ couples to adopt children. Thailand is seeking to host the WorldPride events in Bangkok in 2028.

Legalizing same-sex marriage could have positive effects on tourism, which contributes about 12% to the nation’s $500 billion economy. In 2019, before the pandemic froze international tourism, LGBTQ travel and tourism to Thailand generated about $6.5 billion, or 1.2% of gross domestic product, according to industry consultant LGBT Capital.

Formal recognition could boost the reputation of a place already considered one of Asia’s best for LGBTQ visitors, said Wittaya Luangsasipong, managing director of Siam Pride, an LGBTQ-friendly travel agency in Bangkok.

“It will become a selling point for Thailand and raise our strength in the global stage,” Wittaya said. “It will create a relaxed and safe atmosphere for tourism and help attract more and more LGBTQ visitors. We could also see more weddings by LGBTQ couples, which could generate income across industries and local communities.”

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

reading updates: august 2024

the good news is that I did a lot of reading this month, the bad news is that honestly? I think that my birthday month has had the biggest percentage of literary letdowns, duds, and outright bullshit than any other month of this year so far.

but at least there's plenty to talk about, so let's get going!

Unlearning Shame: How We Can Reject Self-Blame Culture and Reclaim Our Power (Devon Price, 2024) - uh oh gamers, we're starting on a doozy! I've enjoyed both of Price's previous books very much, but with Unlearning Shame I couldn't help but feel like I couldn't quite shake the feeling that I wasn't getting what I had signed on for. the issue, I think, could be corrected by an adjustment to the title, which seems to be promising a very broad tackling of the concept of shame and is therefore making some pretty big promises. in reality, the book is much more narrowly focused than that, interested primarily in the shame that arises in the activism-minded when they feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of awful things in the world and their perceived inability to do anything about it. fairly early on Price introduces an apparently relatable anecdote about himself and a friend having mutual breakdowns in a grocery store because they were both so paralyzed by the conundrum of trying to buy the most ethical groceries possible, and I realized this book was maybe not really for me or my particular experiences with shame. I think this book will be really helpful for a lot of people for sure, would love to pass it on to a lot of my freshmen, but overall it did not live up to the expectations I brought to the party.

A Separate Peace (John Knowles, 1959) - so I wanted to reread this because someone on here sent me an ask about, I don't know, my favorite required high school reading or whatever, and I said it was A Separate Peace but then I realized it's been over a decade since I read the book and I had to go see if it still actually held up. and god, does it EVER. this is such a brutal and heartbreaking novel, beginning in the last carefree summer that best friends and roommates Gene and Finny will experience before their final year at their boys' private school and their seemingly inevitable draft into WW2. although Gene is seethingly jealous of Finny's seemingly effortless charisma, popularity, confidence, and athletic prowess, the two boys are also inseparable - until a tragic injury changes the course of Finny's life forever. this book is a mess of unspoken pain, from the looming end of innocence on a global scale to the intimate ache of loving your best friend so, so much and having no healthy way to express it because you're a repressed little rich boy in the 1940s.

Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea (Rita Chang-Eppig, 2023) - Chang-Eppig's debut novel follows the career of Chinese pirate Shek Yeung, also known as Zheng Yi Sao, immediately following the death of her husband, fearsome pirate Sheng Yi. you've probably seen a post or two about her floating around on this very hellsite, calling her a pirate queen and accompanied by this image:

Chang-Eppig isn't interested in portraying Shek Yeung as any kind of heroine or feminist icon; over and over again it's acknowledged that she's simply a woman who has survived massive hardships and will do whatever she needs to do to survive. manipulation? spying? extortion? torture? murder? you name it, she's done it, and she does not feel remorse. while the novel wasn't a knockout for me either in terms of plot or prose, it's nice to see an entry into the trend of "retelling" stories from history and mythology centered on women that isn't determined to justify every step a maligned woman ever made. Shek Yeung is what she is, and her story makes for a gritty, bloody adventure.

Victim (Andrew Boryga, 2024) - this book is pure sleazeball fun; if you've ever wondered what I consider a romp, this is it. Victim follows our manipulative king Javi Perez as he builds a writing career for himself by turning in one essay after another about racial discrimination that he never really experienced, inventing stories of hardship caused by racism and poverty from his college application essay to his school newspaper to the story that finally brings the whole lie crashing down when he stretches the truth too far. the novel is written like Javi's apology in the wake of getting #canceled, and while I do sometimes feel that this premise makes some of the writing seem a bit implausible (why would you admit that!!!) it's a fun setup for a scandal that would have been a bloodbath on the twitter of old. come get your mess!!!

Bad Girls (Camila Sosa Villada, trans. Kit Maude, 2022) - this is my first time reading Sosa Villada's work but OH BOY, do I need to seek out more. this is a skinty little novel following a dramatized account of the travesti (or transgender) women who live and sell sex in Córdoba, Argentina. the women build an unsteady but beautiful and magic-infused family under the protection of the ancient Auntie Encarna. the protagonist (who is named Camila Sosa Villada, no relation I'm sure) watches as her unconventional family grows, changes, and frays over time, struggling to find ways to stay afloat in a world that see them as disposable. Sosa Villada's turns of phrase are brilliant and searing, and she weaves fantastical elements so nimbly into her narrative that it's utterly believable to see women becoming animals and courting headless men in the streets of a modern city. strongly recommend for fans of Kai Cheng Thom's Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars.

Talkin' Up to the White Woman: Indigenous Women and Feminism (Aileen Morteon-Robinson, 2000) - this book serves as a scathing literature review indicting Australia's white women anthropologists and feminist scholars for the ways in which they've dehumanized and discredited Aboriginal women, stripping them of the right to be authorities of their own experiences and barring them from a white-centered feminist movement. Moreton-Robinson's account is excellent, contrasting the wok of white women academics with the accounts of Aboriginal women to reveal exactly how massive the disparities in understanding are. as a USAmerican previously aware of Australia's colonial history but unfamiliar with the specifics, it was jarring to discover exactly how similar the mechanism of colonial violence are between my country and Australia, with countless genocidal parallels to be drawn. one particular highlight of the book comes via my purchase of a 20th anniversary edition, which includes a new post-script by Moreton-Robinson in which she dissects and responds to various criticisms of the book at its time of release, taking several critics to task for the belittling tone they used to describe her work and the tools white feminists use to absolve themselves of blame in the face of critique from women of color. fascinating and thorough articulation of Moreton-Robinson's point, and deservedly blistering. I love when academics call each other out by name.

The End of Love: Racism, Sexism, and the Death of Romance (Sabrina Strings, 2024) - so the thing about this book is that there are really good PARTS. Strings is still an excellent historical writer, and I found a lot to appreciate in, for instance, the segments on the history of Black American pimp culture and the analysis of Playboy and Helen Gurley Brown's Sex and the Single Girl. the more personal segments, where Strings contorts herself to fit her own failed relationships into the narrative she's building, are decidedly less consistent in their quality, with some feeling like they would have been better off staying between Strings and her therapist. there's a long and convoluted digression about Sex and the City, and a strange anecdote towards the end in which String recounts a phone call with a friend's college-aged son who, String believes, was masturbating during the call. a yucky experience, to be certain, but I'm not sure it justifies Strings filing a police report against the youth and his mother, who she accuses of having groomed her on the son's behalf. she also casually drops in the same chapter that she considers herself pansexual because she's attracted to trans men in addition to cis men? idk man!!! this book was so uneven that I found myself genuinely questioning whether Strings' first book, Fearing the Black Body, is actually as excellent as I remember it being. I'm pretty sure it is, but god it sucks to get shaken so hard that you have to wonder!

The Diary of a Teenage Girl: An Account in Words and Pictures (Phoebe Gloeckner, 2002) - another book that I had to read for class, years ago! I read Diary of a Teenage Girl in one of my gender and women's studies classes in my undergrad, for a class with a title along the lines of Girlhood Stories in Fiction and Film. Gloeckner's novel (though heavily informed by her own life, she insists that it's a work of fiction) sees its young protagonist, Minnie, navigating a great deal of sex, alcohol, drugs in 1970s San Francisco. I started thinking about the book because I was listening to a trio of episodes of You're Wrong About in which Carmen Maria Machado guests to talk about the pervasive sham that is Go Ask Alice (great series, check it out) and I started thinking about Diary, which is so much less preachy and didactic and is, you know, actually drawn from a real teenage girl's diary, unlike Go Ask Alice, and lacking Alice's preachy didacticism. as a diary based on a real diary this book is largely lacking in any particular plot (the most consistent through line is Minnie's ongoing and tumultuous sexual relationship with her mother's 35 year old boyfriend), but if that's not a turn off then you'll find yourself rooting for Minnie to find her way all the way to the uncertain but ultimately optimistic conclusion.

One and Done (Frederick Smith, 2024) - okay, so. this is a romance novel that I picked up because I saw a review talking about how it's an incredibly realistic depiction of working at a university. now that's obviously an insane thing to look for in a romance novel, but I like romances, ESPECIALLY gay romances, and I work at a university, so I figured sure, I'll bite. spoiler alert: it's not great. I posted some examples of the prose here, and even if the two protagonists talked like actual human beings it wouldn't make up for the stale-ass plot or devastating lack of chemistry they have going for them. more like One and Glad to Be Done With This Book That Isn't Very Good, am I right, ladies?

Seduced (Virginia Henley, 1994) - guys, I'm gonna be so fucking real with you. this is the most batshit novel I've ever read, period, let alone the most batshit romance novel. this book was the winner of a poll I ran on patreon last month in which my wicked patreonites got to nominate romance novels of their choosing for my next reading project and voted amongst themselves to crown a winner, and against all odds and my own light attempts to sway the voters, Seduced won it all. this book has everything: a historical setting, a bold young lady disguising herself as her own brother, wildly unchecked orientalism, a murderous cousin, high society scandal, and some of the most torturous sex scenes I've ever encountered in my life. truly this write-up cannot do justice to what I have experienced; I've already promised by patreonites that I'll have to do a little youtube live in order to fully express the extent of my dissatisfaction.

and that was the month of August, babey!!!

[fuckyeahmarxismleninism]

By Dave Zirin and Jules Boykoff

U.S. 1500-meter runner Nikki Hiltz, who is nonbinary, will be running for their community in the Olympics, and very much against the grain when one considers the retrograde approach that the transphobic World Athletics, the global governing body for track and field, has taken when it comes to trans participation. In March 2023, it issued new guidelines that, in essence, banned transgender women athletes from participating in World Athletics events.

[miiju86]

'NOT OUR CRIMES'

- A Petition For Accurate Data Reporting In Criminal Statistics -

About the Petition:

The goal of the "NOT OUR CRIMES" petition is to call attention to the reporting inaccuracy of criminal statistics as it pertains to biological women (XX) and biological men (XY). Previously, 'The Federal Bureau Of Investigation' reported that, "in 2023, 73.8 percent of all arrestees were males. Males accounted for 80.1 percent of persons arrested for violent crimes and for 62.6 percent of persons arrested for property crimes. Males comprised 88.7 percent of persons arrested for murder and nonnegligent manslaughter in 2023. Of the total number of persons arrested for drug abuse violations, 79.7 percent were males". Statistical inaccuracies related to gender identity can arise from a variety of sources, affecting the reliability and validity of data in this area. These inaccuracies can significantly impact research outcomes, policy decisions, and the understanding of gender identity issues. Statistical inaccuracies can also further isolate Females (XX) who are victimized based on their biological sex and not a gender identity.

The phrase "NOT OUR CRIMES" often appears in discussions about the historical and ongoing injustices that marginalized groups face. We argue that gender identity should NOT be considered in the reporting of violent and sexual crimes, and that this practice on a broader scale attempts to further ERASE the biological Female/Girls (XX) as victims of sex-based crimes. Globally. statitica data suggests that the majority of sexually violent crimes are committed by biological men. If sexually violent crimes that are committed by men are now labelled as crimes committed by "females", based on gender-selection, then this data is flawed and any societal laws set to protect the Female (XX), will further be eliminated.

Please Sign & Share! 💜🤍💚

[afeelgoodblog]

🦜 - Why did the parrot learn to video call? Because he wanted to see his tweetheart!

The Best News of Last Week - May 2, 2023

1. Engineers develop water filtration system that permanently removes 'forever chemicals'

Engineers at the University of British Columbia have developed a filtration system that would permanently remove "forever chemicals" from drinking water. This news comes after a recent study revealed nearly 200 million Americans have been exposed to PFAS in their tap water. Dr. Madjid Mohseni, a professor at British Columbia, shares his research.

2. Berkeley diner provides free meals to anyone who's hungry, no questions asked

The Homemade Cafe in Berkeley, California, is giving away free breakfasts to anyone who is hungry, no questions asked. Owner Collin Doran's Everybody Eats Program started when he saw people panhandling outside his diner. Customers can add $5 to their bill to help the program or grab a coupon for a free meal. Doran's act of kindness has resulted in a 15% increase in business, and he hopes that more businesses will follow his lead in making the world a better place.

3. Pope Francis gives women right to vote in bishops’ meeting for first time

Pope Francis has decided to give women the right to vote at an upcoming meeting of bishops, an unprecedented change that reflects his hopes to give women greater decision-making responsibilities.

Francis approved changes to the norms governing the Synod of Bishops, a Vatican body that gathers the world’s bishops together for periodic meetings, following decades of demands by women to have the right to vote.

4. US adult cigarette smoking rate hits new all-time low

U.S. cigarette smoking dropped to another all-time low last year, with 1 in 9 adults saying they were current smokers, according to government survey data released Thursday. Cigarette smoking is a risk factor for lung cancer, heart disease and stroke, and it’s long been considered the leading cause of preventable death. In the mid-1960s, 42% of U.S. adults were smokers. The rate has been gradually dropping for decades, due to cigarette taxes, tobacco product price hikes, smoking bans and changes in the social acceptability of lighting up in public.

Last year, the percentage of adult smokers dropped to about 11%, down from about 12.5% in 2020 and 2021.

5. Scientists taught pet parrots to video call each other - and the birds loved it

When humans are feeling lonely, we can call or video chat with friends and family who live far away. The idea for this study was not random: In the wild, parrots tend to live in large flocks. But when kept in captivity, such as in people’s homes as pets, these social birds are often on their own. Feeling bored and isolated, they may develop psychological issues and can even resort to self-harming tendencies like plucking out their feathers. New research suggests that these chatty creatures may also benefit from virtually connecting with their peers.

Domesticated parrots that learned to initiate video chats with other pet parrots had a variety of positive experiences, such as learning new skills. The parrots that learned to initiate video chats with other pet parrots had a variety of positive experiences, such as learning new skills including flying, foraging and how to make new sounds. Some parrots showed their toys to each other.

I wanted to see this experiment so bad, so here’s a video from the paywalled study. I uploaded it on my youtube channel.

6. World’s First Carbon Import Tax Approved by EU Lawmakers

The European Union’s parliament approved legislation to tax imports based on the greenhouse gases emitted to make them, clearing the final hurdle before the plan becomes law and enshrines climate regulation in the rules of global trade for the first time.

Tuesday’s vote caps nearly two years of negotiations on the import tax, which aims to push economies around the world to put a price on carbon-dioxide emissions while shielding the EU’s manufacturers from countries that aren’t regulating emissions as strictly, or at all. The tax gives credit to countries that put a price on carbon, allowing importers of goods from those countries to deduct payments made for overseas emissions from the amount owed at the EU’s borders.

7. Genetic Driver of Anxiety Discovered

An international team of scientists has identified a gene in the brain responsible for anxiety symptoms and found that modifying the gene can reduce anxiety levels, offering a novel drug target for anxiety disorders. The discovery highlights a new pathway that regulates the brain’s response to stress and provides a potential therapeutic approach for anxiety disorders.

Critically, modification of the gene is shown to reduce anxiety levels, offering an exciting novel drug target for anxiety disorders.

That's a driver I'd like to uninstall.

----

That's it for this week :)

This newsletter will always be free. If you liked this post you can support me with a small kofi donation:

Buy me a coffee ❤���

Also don’t forget to reblog

[mariacallous]

A growing Christian supremacist movement that labels its perceived enemies as “demonic” and enjoys close ties to major Republican figures is “the greatest threat to American democracy you’ve never heard of,” according to a new report from the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The SPLC, a civil rights organization that monitors extremist groups, released its “Year In Hate And Extremism 2023” report on Tuesday. A significant portion of the report, which tracked burgeoning anti-democratic and neo-fascist movements and actors across America, is devoted to the New Apostolic Reformation, “a new and powerful Christian supremacy movement that is attempting to transform culture and politics in the U.S. and countries across the world into a grim authoritarianism.”

Emerging out of the charismatic evangelical tradition, the NAR adheres to a form of Christian dominionism, meaning its parishioners believe it’s their divine duty to seize control of every political and cultural institution in America, transforming them according to a fundamentalist interpretation of scripture.

NAR adherents also believe in the existence of modern-day “apostles” and “prophets” — church leaders endowed by God with supernatural abilities, including the power to heal. In 2022, a handful of these “apostles,” the report notes, issued what they called the Watchman Decree, an anti-democratic document envisioning the end of a pluralistic society in America.

The apostles claimed they had been given “legal power and authority from Heaven” and are “God’s ambassadors and spokespeople over the earth,” who “are equipped and delegated by Him to destroy every attempted advance of the enemy.”

And who���s the enemy? Basically anyone who does not adhere to NAR beliefs. NAR adherents see their critics as being literally controlled by the devil.

“There are claims that whole neighborhoods, cities, even nations are under the sway of the demonic,” the report states. “Other religions, such as Islam, are also said to be demonically influenced. One cannot compromise with evil, and so if Democrats, liberals, LGBTQ+ people, and others are seen as demonic, political compromise — the heart of democratic life — becomes difficult if not impossible.”

This rhetoric has become increasingly widespread among Republican lawmakers, including former President Donald Trump, who last year referred to Marxists and atheists as “evil demonic forces that want to destroy our country.”

That Trump would use NAR-inspired rhetoric is unsurprising considering his relationship with Paula White-Cain, an NAR figure who delivered the invocation at Trump’s inauguration in 2017 and at the kickoff of his 2020 reelection campaign, as noted by Paul Rosenberg in Salon. White-Cain also delivered the invocation at Trump’s Jan. 6, 2021, “Stop the Steal” rally in Washington, D.C. — the event that eventually became the insurrection at the Capitol.

The attack on the Capitol was largely inspired, the report suggests, by NAR’s theology of dominionism. “NAR prayer groups were mobilized at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as well as supporting prayer teams all over the country, to exorcise the demonic influence over the Capitol that adherents said was keeping Trump from his rightful, prophesized second term,” the report states.

Major Republican figures took part in such events on or around the day of the attack. Mike Johnson, who is now the speaker of the House, joined the NAR’s “Global Prayer for Election Integrity,” which called for Trump’s reinstatement as president, in the weeks leading up to the attack on the Capitol. Johnson has also stated that Jim Garlow, an NAR leader, has had a “profound influence” on his life.

Ultimately, the SPLC report is an attempt to ring the alarm bells about the NAR, ”the greatest threat to U.S. democracy that you have never heard of.

“It is already a powerful, wealthy and influential movement and composes a highly influential block of one of the two main political parties in the country,” the report continues. “So few people have heard of NAR that it is possible that, without resistance in our local communities, dominionism might win without ever having been truly opposed.”

The SPLC’s report, according to a press release, also documents 595 hate groups and 835 antigovernment extremist groups in America, “including a growing wave of white nationalism increasingly motivated by theocratic beliefs and conspiracy theories.”

“With a historic election just months away, this year, more than any other, we must act to preserve our democracy,” Margaret Huang, president and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center and SPLC Action Fund, said in a statement. “That will require us to directly address the danger of hate and extremism from our schools to our statehouses. Our report exposes these far-right extremists and serves as a tool for advocates and communities working to counter disinformation, false conspiracies and threats to voters and election workers.”

[thesilliestrovingalive]

Updated: November 11, 2024

Reworked Group #1: Rebel Army

POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNING: Viewer discretion is advised due to references to death, fanaticism, drug usage, and SA.

Overview

Multiple terrorist organisations began to form near the start of the 21st century, fueled by rapid technological advancements and escalating violence. For most of the past 20 years, these groups lacked cohesion and were merely a nuisance to the Regular Army, who didn't consider them a significant threat. However, everything changed in 2023 when the Central Park bombing claimed the lives of Field Marshal Donald Morden's wife, daughter, and son, forever altering the course of events.

He was deeply disturbed by this news and learned that the Regular Army had opportunities to prevent the tragedy, but failed to do so. He attributed this failure to systemic issues within the government and military. Following a period of personal struggle and disillusionment, he resigned and eventually disappeared from public view, accompanied by a group of loyal troops who admired him as a leader.

Behind closed doors, Morden began to slowly build up his army, establishing a unique structure for his military organisation and specialised divisions such as the Japanese Infantry and Arabian Infantry. He even acquired ancient technology that had once belonged to his ancestors, the Tuatha Dé Danann. Most of his troops were genetically enhanced using Tuatha Dé Danann technology from the Hadean Eon, which explains why many of them shared a pale complexion and identical physical characteristics—the varying shades of black and blonde hair, and eyes that ranged from deep blue to vibrant cyan. Additionally, Morden consolidated various extremist groups and insurgent forces into his organisation and procured some military technology from the Regular Army through clandestine means.

They prove to be more than a match for the Regular Army, boasting horrifyingly vast and varied resources as well as legions of fanatically loyal infantry equipped with an array of weapons beyond imagination. Their troops are known for their devotion to duty, but have been observed to flee when faced with a particularly dire situation. Although their ranks appear endless and their weapons are brutally effective, some of their arsenal seems somewhat outdated. Furthermore, their combat skills and strategies are arguably less sophisticated than those employed by the Regular Army.

In 2026, the Rebel Army emerged, revealing itself as a military organisation. Led by General Donald Morden, the Rebel Army launched a series of coups aimed at purging the government and military of corruption. However, Morden's ambition was tainted by a megalomaniacal desire for global domination. As a result of this tainted ambition, the main goal of the Rebel Army shifted to overthrowing the Earth Federation and establishing a worldwide authoritarian state under the iron-fisted rule of General Morden. Despite suffering numerous defeats at the hands of elite forces, including the Peregrine Falcons Squad, S.P.A.R.R.O.W.S., Ikari Warriors, and Division 6, the Rebel Army remained resolute in their goal to expose the corruption within all governments and military forces. They have gone to extreme lengths to achieve their objective, forging alliances with the Amadeus Syndicate, Pipovulaj Army, and Ptolemaic Army.

Insignia

It features a white circle, outlined in scarlet, with a black dragon at its centre. The dragon's wings are outstretched, and it grasps a human skull with its sharp claws.

Uniforms

Cadet Uniform

They wear a champagne-hued sleeveless shirt, paired with a light grey armband featuring the Rebel Army insignia. Over the shirt, they wear a short-sleeved jacket with an olive green, terracotta, and sandy beige camouflage pattern. This jacket has four pockets for storage and two hidden strapped compartments. Their headgear consists of a black beret with a scarlet stripe and a white stripe, and a rolled light grey neckerchief secured with a terracotta woggle. They also wear a dark brown utility belt for carrying essential gear, sandy beige army cargo pants tucked into black combat boots, and olive green knee and elbow pads.

Commanding Officer Uniform

They wear a feldgrau military coat with the Rebel Army insignia emblazoned on the left side, adorned with silvery epaulets and gilded aiguillettes featuring rhomboid-cut reddish amethyst pieces. The coat has dark green cuffs and a rise-and-fall collar, a silver-white eight-button front, and a scalloped rear vent. Their attire is completed with a red-violet necktie, crimson gloves, navy blue trousers, and charcoal grey jackboots. On their head, they wear an Imperial Italic-style helmet, embellished with alternating black and yellow plumes.

Special Forces

They wear dark green gas masks with orange-tinted lenses and an industrial tube connected to a bulky metallic grey air tank with three light blue stripes centred on it, which is strapped to their shoulders. They wear olive green gloves, a coffee brown Kevlar vest, beige combat boots with crimson spiked soles, and a gilded armband bearing the insignia of the Rebel Army. Their uniform consists of saffron-yellow, navy blue, and black camo army cargo pants and field tunic, featuring a luxor gold collar and four front patch pockets with scalloped flaps and pleats.

Their coffee brown belt, adorned with a gilt-brass buckle, features seven black pouches for ammunition and a scarlet waist pack containing basic medical supplies, such as bandages. They carry olive green rucksacks bearing the Rebel Army insignia, containing a wide range of supplies, including tactical explosives, portable ammo boxes, canteens filled with water, weapons, additional medical supplies, gas masks, and walkie-talkies.

Bodyguards

They wear bulky, neurally-controlled exosuits with a dark, iridescent nanoceramic coating, providing adaptive protection and augmented mobility. The suit features AI-driven strength amplification, thermal regulation, and self-healing joints for unparalleled flexibility. Their armour is complemented by a holographic visor helmet emblazoned with the Rebel Army's insignia, equipped with a neural interface offering real-time tactical projections and voice command. They don a chromatic gas mask with retinal implants, granting enhanced low-light vision, dual nano-filter mounts, and a voice modulator encircled by fractal-patterned, silver-nanowire spikes.

Their integrated load-bearing backpack stores additional supplies, including ammunition, medical kits, tactical gear (e.g. smoke grenades), rations, and hydration pack. Underneath their exoskeletons, the bodyguards wear a tactical, high-coverage ballistic bodysuit made from a dense, flexible kevlar-latex hybrid material. Their bodysuits are a deep, rich scarlet colour and feature strategically integrated, articulated padding at the shoulders, elbows, and knees.

They’re primarily armed with a Mauser C96 pistol for close-quarters engagement, FG 42 rifle for versatile, high-accuracy firepower, and an MG 42 machine gun with bipod foregrip for sustained, heavy suppressive fire. The Mauser C96 can be equipped with an extended magazine and silencer attachment, the FG 42 features a telescopic sight and folding stock, and the MG 42 boasts a high-capacity drum magazine and quick-change barrel system.

Land Troops

Troops in woodland areas wear a Soldier Plate Carrier System (SPCS) featuring a brown, beige, and olive green camouflage pattern, which holds ammunition and their walkie-talkie. They wear earthy green army cargo pants with two additional pockets on the back and field tunics with a six-button bronze front closure. They also wear an earthy green ballistic helmet, a ruddy brown belt with a bronze buckle, dark green paratrooper boots, and a fern-hued armband bearing the Rebel Army insignia. They wear dark green bandoliers that form an X-shape, holding additional ammunition. They carry moss-green load-bearing backpacks with reinforced webbing and waterproof linings, containing supplies provided by special forces such as water purification tablets, emergency shelters, and high-calorie rations.

Troops in snowy areas wear a Soldier Plate Carrier System (SPCS) featuring a white, frosty grey, and pale blue camouflage pattern, which holds ammunition and their walkie-talkie. They wear snow-drab army cargo pants with two additional pockets on the back and insulated field tunics with a six-button silver front closure. They also wear a snow-drab ballistic helmet, steel grey belt with a silver buckle, and an azure armband bearing the Rebel Army insignia. They wear black paratrooper boots lined with warm polar bear fur and equipped with crampons, which provide traction on icy ground.

They carry arctic white tactical backpacks with black accents and reinforced insulation, containing supplies provided by special forces such as thermal blankets, emergency bivvy sacks, and high-energy rations. They carry spiky riot shields made of blue-grey metal, rimmed with a scarlet stripe and a black stripe. Additionally, they carry a bluish-white canister on their back containing ice mist, which enables them to launch shards and spikes of ice at enemies.

Troops in desert areas wear a Soldier Plate Carrier System (SPCS) featuring a sandy beige, terracotta, and light grey camouflage pattern. They wear khaki army cargo pants with two additional pockets on the back and field tunics with a six-button brass front closure. They wear a khaki ballistic helmet, light brown bandanas that cover their necks, crimson-plated tactical goggles, and ivory-hued ponchos adorned with the Rebel Army insignia on the back. They also wear a reddish-grey belt with a brass buckle, tan leather paratrooper boots, and a dusty brown armband bearing the Rebel Army insignia.

They wear three reddish-grey bandoliers with two forming an X-shape across their chest, holding ammunition, and a third one positioned above their belt, holding sticks of dynamite. They carry dune-beige tactical backpacks with built-in hydration bladders and MOLLE attachments, containing supplies provided by special forces such as water purification tablets, desert survival kits, and emergency rations.

Troops who operate as fanatics are required to wear a black sheath or drop leg holster for their combat knife or electrical baton and carry their improvised weapons, including fireworks, rolling bombs, and hammers, in their backpacks. Fanatics are trained to sabotage enemy vehicles and are infamous for their lethal leaping knife attacks.

Troops who operate as grenadiers are required to wear a crimson waist pack and seven belt pouches, each filled with grenades.

Troops who operate as bazooka wielders are required to carry an anti-tank weapon that closely resembles the American M1 Bazooka, but is emblazoned with the Rebel Army insignia. Some bazooka wielders carry around an energy-blasting bazooka similar to the one used by the Future Bazooka Soldiers from Metal Slug 7/XX. They serve as the backbone of General Morden's ground forces regiment. Bazooka wielders are specialised in tank destruction and sometimes arrive on the battlefield by parachute, typically laying down fire on any enemy soldiers on the ground.

Troops who operate as shielded soldiers are required to carry simple riot shields made of grey metal and wield a machete alongside a Desert Eagle-designed pistol. They slash at enemies with their machete when they get too close or shoot them with their pistol when they're out of machete range. They serve as a line of defence to help protect the main body of the army from enemy fire.

Troops who operate as vehicle drivers are required to carry a rocket launcher capable of firing homing missiles. Once the vehicle they were operating has been taken down, they fire one or two shots before fleeing.

Troops who operate as minelayers are required to wear a gilded or silvery drop leg holster for their combat knife and carry mines in their backpacks. Once a mine has been laid, they often flee or launch a frenzied attack against their enemies. They specialise in laying mines to eliminate careless enemies, employing stealthy tactics to sneak onto the battlefield and deploy their explosives. Alternatively, they may rush in and drop mines in strategic locations, catching their foes off guard.

Troops who operate as bikers for the Rebel Army Bike Squad are required to wear grip-enhancing greyish-brown gloves, glossy black combat boots, and bronze-plated goggles. They utilise two different types of motorbikes, the Micka Horn and Thunder Moto, for quickly reaching their destination or attacking alongside moving vehicles. Sidecar bikers have an attached sidecar with a trooper carrying either a bazooka that fires homing missiles or a highly reliable automatic rifle. Fanatic bikers perform wheelies with their motorbike and will jump off when close to an enemy, allowing the motorbike to crash into the enemy. Missile bikers have a large missile secured to their back with three ropes; when ready, they’ll detonate it, sacrificing themselves in the process and launching a massive fireball.

Troops who operate as snipers are required to carry rifles that closely resemble the Mauser Karabiner 98k, along with a crimson waist pack for their special ammunition. These rifles have a slow rate of fire and are surprisingly unreliable, often jamming after only a few shots.

Troops who operate mortars are the light artillery of the army, being required to bombard oncoming enemies with high-explosive mortar rounds.

Troops who operate as Gatling soldiers are required to carry a heavy minigun with a back-mounted ammo supply. Due to the intense recoil, rapid overheating, and high ammo expenditure, they only fire in short bursts. Their large ammo containers, made of dark grey metal, are designed to withstand several shots.

Troops who operate as flamethrower soldiers are required to carry flamethrowers connected to canisters containing flammable induction particles, which enable them to control the shape and direction of their attacks.

Marine Troops

Troops wear a specially designed mottled grey and blue camouflage wetsuit, featuring a horizontal front zip and a hood with an integrated communication earpiece pocket. They wear durable flippers with rugged spikes in a rusty orange finish, which provide stability and traction on underwater terrain. Their underwater goggles are plated with durable copper and brass for corrosion resistance and clear visibility. Finally, they wear bronze-hued, waterproof gloves, ensuring dexterity and protection while handling equipment in wet conditions.

Troops who operate as rocket divers are required to hold a giant missile on their back. They're often positioned in medium-depth waters, sneaking up on enemies before jumping out of the water and tossing their rockets at them. The camouflage wetsuits of rocket divers have a bright yellow sheen, and they use a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus connected to two bulky air tanks.

Troops who operate as marine divers are required to carry an oil drum on their back, strapped to their shoulders by sturdy rope, which is fitted with explosive charges. The camouflage wetsuits of marine divers have a reddish-black sheen, and they wear rebreathers that allow them to reach a depth of 2,000 feet (609.6 metres).

Troops who operate as cannon divers are required to carry bazooka-styled cannons, utilise flotation devices or life preservers, and hide under bridges and cliffs to wait in ambush for their enemies. The camouflage wetsuits of cannon divers have a greyish-green sheen, but some of them wear only white boxers with crimson spots beneath their flotation gear.

Aerial Troops

Troops who operate as pilots wear fire-resistant Oxford blue flight suits, adorned with multiple pockets for storing essential gear. A transparent plastic pocket on the thigh holds aeronautical charts, while a built-in utility belt features a drop leg holster for their combat knives. They wear oxygen masks and helmets with communication speakers and bronze-plated goggles to ensure clear visibility and are equipped with night vision mode. They don steel-toed muddy brown safety boots with ankle support and flotation collars that automatically inflate in water.

Their uniforms are completed with woollen champagne-hued scarves, each featuring two scarlet stripes at both ends, and lapis lazuli blue armbands bearing the Rebel Army insignia. They carry desert tan load-bearing backpacks containing supplies provided by special forces, including survival radios, high-intensity flashlights, signal flares, aeronautical compasses, and whistles.

Troops who operate as special airborne soldiers comprise the female units of the aerial division. They don a cutting-edge, neuro-linked exosuit in a sleek, obsidian blue finish, reinforced with adaptive, impact-absorbing smart materials. The suit is integrated with a motorised helicopter backpack, enabling seamless transitions between ground and air operations. Advanced, high-resolution optics are embedded in the sleek, silver mirrored piloting goggles, providing real-time data overlays, low-light enhancement, and AI-assisted navigation. A compact, high-pressure air supply system is mounted on the chest plate, incorporating advanced oxygen recycling and CO2 scrubbing technology for extended high-altitude missions.

Beneath their exoskeleton, they don a sleek black tactical jumpsuit crafted from high-strength, bullet-resistant latex, reinforced with strategic padding at vital joints. Over this, they wear a ruggedized, tan-coloured MOLLE vest, equipped with four utility pouches. These soldiers are armed with either a portable Gatling gun or an AR-10, which fire homing missiles. Additionally, they wear a sturdy waist belt holding six canisters of flammable acid and eight smoke bombs, which can be thrown at their enemies.

Vehicles

Combat Vehicles

Type-2 Di-Cokka

Type-3 Bull Chan

Type-4 Girida-O

Type-5 Iron Iso

T-2B Melty Honey

Shoe & Karn

M-15A Bradley

Denturion

Big Shiee

LV Armor

Iron Nokana

Formor

Rebel Gigant

Emain Macha

Tani Oh

Iron Sentinel

Aircraft

R-Shobu

MH-6J Masknell

Tetsuyuki

Flying Tara

Eaca-B

The Keesi

The Keesi Mk. III

Hairbuster Riberts

Hi-Do

Naval Vessels

Jet Hammer-Yang

Hammer-Yang

U25U

Mini-Sub 88

Hozmi

Morden's Battleship

Support Vehicles

MV-280B

Nop-03 Sarubia

MG-36

3-ton Utility Truck

Landseek

Rebel Van

M-3 Rocket Launch Support Van

Dararin Dara Dara

Mini-Bata

Mini-Blimps

Kaladgolg

Walking Locomotive

Vigilance

Balor

Pipe Spider

Jupiter King

Dragon Nosuke

Working Machines

Bull Drill

Aeshi Nero

Miscellaneous

Cabracan

Fall Climber

Special Weaponry

Support

TM-1 Missiles

Turrets (Anti Aircraft, Spike Bunker, Double Bunker, and Hill Turret)

Vigilance

Laser Drone

Patrol Robot

Metal Mole

Supervisory Cameras

Sensor Mine

Pods

Rebel Walker

Mosque Artillery

Spider Droid

Biological Weapons

Mutated Soldiers

Flying Killers

Enormous Moray

Chowmein-Congas

Ohumein-Congas

Huge Hermit

Rebel Army Base

The Fortress of Königsdrache serves as the strategic headquarters for Rebel Army operations and the residence of General Morden. Notably, its design bears a striking resemblance to Morden's Castle from Metal Slug 3D. Four large dark red banners, emblazoned with the Rebel Army insignia, flank the castle on all four sides, while advanced surveillance and monitoring networks secure the interior.

Beneath its foundation, the castle features a robust hexapedal locomotion system, comprising six arachnid-inspired, cybernetic legs. These legs are reinforced with insulated dark mahogany and myrtle green wiring. The wiring interfaces with an intricate network of brass fittings and copper pipes. Notably, the design of its mechanical legs is virtually identical to those found on Morden's Castle from Metal Slug 3D.

The castle's core houses a centralised arsenal, featuring four Denturion-like cannons that launch AI-guided, quantum-entangled TM-1 Missiles. These missiles employ real-time adaptive guidance, countering evasive maneuvers with precision. Flanking the primary arsenal are dual high-energy laser cannons, their prismatic lenses pulsating with intense, supercharged plasma. Supplementing the primary arsenal, sixteen omnidirectional, auto-targeting turrets are strategically positioned along the castle's periphery. These turrets unleash hypervelocity, explosive cannonballs at detected threats, guided by sophisticated real-time predictive analytics.

The grand hall boasts a large fireplace, a circular rosewood table, a gilded throne with a turquoise-dotted crimson seat cushion, and fifty mahogany business chairs, where General Morden's strategic command team convenes, supported by communication arrays and a holographic map of the world. The central courtyard boasts a fountain showcasing a unique four-winged angel with the head of a crocodile, carrying a water jug, while a crowned swan follows closely behind. The courtyard is surrounded by lush greenery and vibrant flower beds, adorned with a variety of blooms, including foxgloves, delphiniums, peonies, clematis, honeysuckles, lavender, sunflowers, dahlias, and castor oil plants.

The castle features a stunning chapel adorned with vibrant stained-glass windows, depicting angels with magnificent wings, shown assisting humans and battling demons. It also boasts a sunny retreat for General Morden, a vast library housing a diverse collection of manuscripts and books across various genres, and a kitchen accompanied by a well-stocked pantry. Additional facilities include a dungeon designated for holding special prisoners, an infirmary for medical care, a bathhouse for relaxation, and a gatehouse for secure entry and exit. 

The personal quarters of General Morden, Sagan, and Logan include three bedrooms, three private offices, a situation room, a secure storage facility for their personal arsenal and tactical gear, and direct access to the grand hall and other critical areas of the fortress via secret passageways and elevators. General Morden's Space Tank and the original Shoe & Karn, which belong to Sagan and Logan respectively, are housed in a garage that doubles as an entrance to a subterranean chamber. The basement houses 30 cyborg replicas, consisting of three sets of 10 identical units, modelled after Morden, Sagan, and Logan. Additionally, the room features a vast wardrobe, storing a customised outfit for each cyborg duplicate. The replicas stand upright in cryogenic tubes, lining both walls, receiving a vital, tar-like liquid that prevents mechanical corrosion and digital decay.

The fortress also comprises an armoury and munitions room, a heavily fortified storage facility for advanced weaponry, ammunition, and equipment; the barracks, special accommodations for elite Rebel Army personnel featuring personal quarters, training facilities, and armouries; and an intelligence hub, a cutting-edge facility for gathering, analysing, and disseminating critical information to support Rebel Army operations. Within the castle, other rooms include:

A crystal-clear sky dome with an automatic emergency closure system featuring a dark grey adamant barrier.

Comfy beds and toys for the elite’s German Shepherds and Doberman Pinschers, complete with a doggy playground and a pet grooming station.

An environmental aquarium suitable for four Enormous Morays (Helen, Linda, Jenny, and Barbie) and a few Flying Killers with a simulated ocean current and a treasure chest feeder.

A central tubular fish tank full of tiny jellyfish, surrounded by a circular seating area with velvet cushions.

A hidden passageway behind the aquarium leading to a secret room with a doggy cinema playing canine favourites.

A dog treat bar offering healthy snacks and refreshing drinks for the furry friends.

A veterinary care station with state-of-the-art equipment for any medical needs.

Extra Information

Most pilots and special airborne soldiers are Rebel Army cadets with either sufficient or barely passable piloting skills. However, some are kidnapped Regular Army cadets who have been brainwashed and enticed with promises such as financial aid—and, if female, subjected to emotional manipulation—to serve General Morden's cause. To maintain their obedience, they are forcibly administered amphetamine pills and methamphetamine injections on a weekly basis. This potentially explains why some pilots exhibit self-destructive behaviour, such as kamikaze attacks.

Fanatic land troops are known to ingest hallucinogens, believing it will render them numb to the emotional pain associated with taking lives. They also believe it will intensify their conviction to eradicate all governmental and militant corruption. They claim to receive visions revealing strategies to annihilate their enemies and words of encouragement from General Morden, who’s revered as a deity-like figure.

Many soldiers fear the fanatic land troops due to their unpredictable, drug-crazed, violent behaviour, which targets not only enemies but also perceived threats to their well-being and anyone who insults them. However, other soldiers resent these troops for receiving disproportionate attention and praise from General Morden, who favours them for their veteran status. Additionally, they are troubled by their unsettling dynamic with Sagan, whom they shower with gifts of devotion and gratitude, including the severed heads of their enemies and traitors, while she reciprocates with hallucinogens and intimate favours.

Similar to the fanatic land troops, marine divers known to be suicidally fanatical and extremely loyal to the Rebel Army's cause, willing to sacrifice themselves to secure a better future for their faction.

Some male fanatic land troops, bikers, and marine divers have been known to engage in coercive recruitment tactics, including love bombing to manipulate women into joining the Rebel Army's land, marine, and aerial divisions. Additionally, there have been instances of sexual assault perpetrated by these individuals against women in opposing factions.

The bodyguard armour stands at an impressive 8 ft (243.84 cm) in height. However, many individuals inside these suits exist in a severely degraded yet remarkably functional state, despite suffering from adverse reactions caused by their genetic enhancement. This enhancement involves the forced integration of Tuatha Dé Danann DNA into their genome through chemical means.

Certain cadets turn to stimulants to stay alert and focused, while others use them as an escape, attempting to dull the psychological impact of warfare and the moral weight of harming others.

Some soldiers have a habit of slacking off, engaging in activities such as calling loved ones, taking smoke breaks, gossiping, cooking food, dancing to music played on the boombox, drinking, flirting with those who catch their attention or playing games on their handheld consoles.

[ars-theurgia]

Anarchy & Apathy (things we should probably learn from Eurovision 2024)

(tl;dr – a review of the voting process is critical; Croatia should have won)

It’s a rare year that sees a consensual Eurovision winner. It is to be expected – the contest is not only a competition of musical taste, but also of musical identity. There is more than simply genre, melody or vocals at play, as these are often filtered through the lens of national sensibility. At face value, a stereotype of geopolitics; at a deeper level, the actual cultural wealth of each European region. 'Our neighbours', etc. To which of course, theatrics and gimmicks are added, in the hopes of standing out from the rest of the crowd.

This is what makes, or should make, watching Eurovision a positive experience. Which this year, failed spectacularly on all counts, leading to a problematic, underwhelming and polarising edition, derailed on Thursday night and crashing its way through apathy and anarchy all the way to the grand final.

Apathy, because it seemed to want to get away with being apolitical. Anarchy, because it failed to carry out apolitical acts.

And from each side, its worst attribute, resulting in what feels like a bland and uncomfortable watch.

This year, Eurovision attempted (and in my view, failed) to manage itself by allowing too many paradoxes to take place. Glaring inconsistencies, arbitrary exclusions, aloof silences, inability (or lack of desire) to address core issues and legacy accusations – a broken code. A program in error, glitching and ineffectual, all under the symbolic and literal guise of “neutrality” – which doesn’t stick. And worse, seems to negate the actual positive aspects of the show, this year neutralised themselves.

This isn’t to say Switzerland did or did not deserve the win – the voting conditions of both jury and public are clearly stated, and in theory were applied. The jury voted, the people voted, and the winner was chosen.

But unlike other years where a similar pattern of voting distribution could be considered ‘curious’, and where ‘the safer song’ wins over the public favourite – see Käärijä 2023 – this year’s jury results feel unjust not only to the runner-up, but to the vast majority of contestants. And by extension, the viewers.

Stage presentation was ignored (see UK for the extreme example, and Ireland for a less radical, visually incompatible result).

Vocal performance was ignored (see Norway’s Gunnhild/Gåte for the extreme example, along with Portugal’s Iolanda; Germany’s Isaak, possibly the strongest vocalist in the competition this year; Israel’s Eden Golan for the complete disregard of vocal ability over nationality).

Radio-friendly potential was ignored (see Luxembourg’s ‘Fighter’, Cyprus’ ‘Liar’, Italy’s ‘La Noia’, Austria’s ‘We Will Rave’ even).

Resulting once again, in a surprisingly cohesive jury vote that deems Switzerland’s ‘The Code’ as the winner, over the fifth place that the public attributed it.

Being neutral is not the same as being objective. And while objectivity is difficult to gauge in a contest where musical taste and national identity (not to mention global politics) are part of the formula, there is a case to be made for the fact that Eurovision and the EBU’s passivity and top-up decision making reflects poorly on the Eurovision experience.

Recurring discrepancies between jury and public voting should be addressed. Because a jury’s role (in Eurovision and elsewhere) should not be of neutrality, but of objective action.

In objective action, a contestant cannot be excluded without a proper justification, to date only explained through vague declarations and heavy speculation (see Netherlands).

In objective action, and in a self-identified democratic continent, the people’s paid vote should inform the winning result over a closed group of juries (see Croatia’s disproportionate second place).

In objective action, rules must be enforced equally to all contestants (see Ireland, who had to remove part of their presentation, vs. Portugal, who was allowed to show a message through nails).

And in objective action, microphones should not be silenced; contestants must be allowed the freedom to be judged by the people listening, and not on what the EBU determines should be judged.

Until that’s learned, processed, addressed, reformed – why watch for disappointment?

[alianoralacanta]

Warning! Long post alert!

Thanks to @maybezax (Zax) for posting a clip on Twitter, showing several drivers crouching in exhaustion in the pit lane (not even in the shade, where this would make a bit more sense) after the 2024 Singaporean Grand Prix. It is one thing for drivers to put everything into a race, but it is unusual to see this many drivers collectively doing this at the same time. Indeed, the last time I saw this was Qatar 2023.

For anyone who doesn't remember the debacle that was Qatar 2023, the drivers were asked to race in a ridiculously hot and humid place, in cars that have to be driven with precision at high speed. It was a blatant safety issue, confirmed by multiple drivers reporting either passing out or neither do so in the cars, vision problems, someone vomiting and a driver having to be persuaded to retire (because one of the symptoms of heat exhaustion is not getting the signals to say one is ill until it the situation is severe).

- Not written names because names aren't the point here. This is about the general safety situation and anyone could easily have swapped reactions with another - or had other serious reactions - because severe dehydration is like that.

One of the ideas that was proposed was for F1 to pay attention to the wet-bulb global temperature for their location. F1 might not have adopted the idea, but it occurred to me to check, so we can see whether this was weather-related or a bunch of drivers simply went, "It's the last race before several weeks' break, let's put absolutely everything onto the track to end this phase of the season".

I've had a look at the wet-bulb rating for Marina Gardens (which I think is the closest weather station to the track that measures WGBT) and it had a wet-bulb of rating 35, or Black. This is above the Green-Yellow-Red rating Singapore usually uses for this purpose (red is for 33 C + and it is required in Singapore to offer 10-minute breaks every hour, to every worker in an outdoor occupation in these conditions https://www.mom.gov.sg/heat-stress-measures-for-outdoor-work/faqs-on-heat-stress-measures-for-outdoor-work ).

Exact readings:

S108 Marina Gardens Drive Temperature: 29.1 degrees Celcius Relative Humidity: 80.7% WBGT rating: 35 WGBT Rating: BLACK Time taken: 2024-09-23, Time 06:15:00, +08:00 ahead of the UK

(Please note that this is at the end of the night and the sun will only just have started rising. Usually, humidity drops during the night). If these drivers make it look like it was ridiculously hot and sticky out there… that's because it was.

Singapore has a Workplace Safety and Health Act covering this situation for employers and organisations alike: if the WGBT is 32 degrees or higher, and the job has to be done outdoors, every company must provide 10 minutes of rest to every worker (longer breaks are recommended above this, but aren't compulsory and I can't imagine the FIA jumping in to impose these). No exemption for sports appears to exist (there's a limited one for military personnel), nor is any other heat protection measure considered mitigation for this. The choices are:

1) Shorten the event to below an hour. 2) Postpone the event until WGBT is below 32 degrees Celcius. 3) Red-flag the race for 10 minutes every hour, starting the count from when the last marshal has had chance to get to the rest area following the last car entering the pits, and giving all marshals chance to resume their posts before resuming the race.

The race was longer than 1 hour. I did not see the FIA or the teams offer a break. (For those of you saying, "the drivers could have parked if they wanted to follow the law", the FIA is responsible for the marshals and they can't take their mandatory break until all the athletes are taking theirs, so mandation from the FIA and co-enforced by teams would be the only way to make this work).

Since the FIA has not obeyed this standard, it is now liable for every single issue that occurs from this. We know the F1 drivers struggled and they train for this exact scenario quite intensely. If any marshal complained to the Ministry of Manpower about this (and I would be surprised if all of them handled it better than the drivers), then the FIA would be liable, which in turn would make the teams jointly liable - even if everyone in the teams and travelling part of the paddock were OK with this arrangement.

It also underlines how important it is that WGBT is adopted before Qatar and the FIA and teams all be bound by it. I don't know what Qatar's laws are about WGBT, but it is unlikely that a F1 struggling with a Singapore that it's been to successfully for years prior to this would otherwise be equipped to handle a Qatar that it barely got away with last time it went there (on a less stressful calendar, with a FIA that was less complacent about safety).

[solradguy]

Still one dlc char to be announced in 2023, when do you think it'll happen?

According to the timestamp on this ask, you sent this like literal hours before the new Developer Backyard dropped and answered your question haha December!

Link to the post: https://www.guiltygear.com/ggst/en/news/post-2013/

Relevant text from the DB:

The next update is coming up in December 2023. In addition to a new character, this update will introduce the second round of new special moves, this time for 2 characters. There's also a small-scale balance update in store, focused on adjustments to the new mechanics Wild Assault and Deflect Shield. This will include the aforementioned changes to input options for some characters' new moves such as Giovanna's Chave as well as fixes for issues.

In the Q&A section they teased the possibility of a future artbook that collects all the works between Xrd to now. Fingers crossed it happens!!

The other Q&A responses said that they would consider putting in a way to toggle things like Jack-O's mask and Sin's eyepatch (?!) like how you can toggle Johnny's beard or between the two Asukas, though they said they can't promise anything. They also said that they would like to hold a character palette contest OR survey some day and that they're looking into refining the input for Deflect Shield

The upcoming qualifier tournaments for Arc World Tour are: FIGHTERS SPIRIT (November 18 to 19) in Korea; Battle Coliseum (November 24 to 26) in Brazil; Ultimate Fighting Arena (November 24 to 26) in France; Frosty Faustings (January 25 to 28) in the USA.

So far they've only done big character announcements at events either in the USA or Japan so I'm not sure they'll announce who's next at any of these. There might be another big event going on that I don't know about though. Guess we'll find out soon!!

They also covered the survey results in this entry, which are always interesting. These results stretch this post a bit so I'm gonna slip them behind a readmore.

Lots of young players!! No wonder I get Dadguy'd on here so much lol

Bridget is also the current most favorite character globally, followed by Sol and then Ramlethal in 3rd:

Regional favorite character poll for just Strive's cast. These votes were limited to just one character and the DB entry suggests they may allow two votes for this part in future polls:

I've posted this one on here before when it was shown at Tokyo Game Show earlier this year, but here's the overall favorite character rankings by region. A.B.A., Elphelt, Slayer, and Dizzy are the highest:

[probablyasocialecologist]

While Marx often shows enthusiasm for the potentiality of enhanced forms of human cooperation enabled by globalizing production, already in the nineteenth century, he observed an antagonistic separation of town and country and suggested that production chains were overstretched and wasting resources. Today, lessening the spatial disjuncture between production and consumption must be an explicit feature and aim of sustainable and just transition and, in this context, calls on the left for partial deglobalization, including the shortening of commodity chains, have merit and are quite consistent with Marx’s analysis. In a process of partial deglobalization, production for local and domestic needs—rather than production for export—would again become the center of gravity of the economy. A move away from the export orientation of domestic corporations and a process of renationalization could also allow enterprises to begin to develop their own strategies, moving away from the whims of the global market and choices taken by corporate controllers. Such transformation could enable spaces for independent development in the Global South. To do so, they could focus on shifting agrarian systems, orienting their production away from agro-export (which is a source of tremendous ecological irrationality and unequal exchange) toward food sovereignty. Such shifts would need to be accompanied by simultaneous, coordinated shifts toward enhanced local and domestic food production in Global North, alongside a move from high-input agriculture to agroecology, and, in settler colonial contexts, enhanced Indigenous sovereignty. Within domestic spaces or regions, efforts must simultaneously be made to mend a rift between the city and the country. For a model of the environmentalist city, one could look to Havana for inspiration. During Cuba’s Special Period in the 1990s, organic, low-input agriculture was developed both in the countryside, as well as in the island’s capital through urban farms. Urban agriculture is here not niche or small-scale—it covers large expanses within and at the outskirts of the city, where rich land is located. In the transition to renewables, energy production should also be localized as much as possible. This is a potentiality inherent in renewable energy “flow,” in contrast to concentrated energy “stock,” or fossil fuels. While lessening the spatial disjuncture between production and consumption is part of developing ecologically rational production, this aim should be recognized to be in some tension with economic planning (at least in the longer term), insofar as expansive planning is potentiated by the socialization of production. Thus, calls for localization of production imply a diminishment in productive association across firms and regions and the potential to plan such interconnections. Practically, it is important to recognize that such a process confronts material interdependencies, as existing productive networks and infrastructural configurations support and sustain huge swaths of human life. Different regions and cities also have different specializations and different ecological capacities. In an existing world of evolved economic interdependencies, the reproductive needs of various communities require continued global resource flows. Climate change also creates severe survival and livelihood challenges on a highly uneven basis, and global trade and divisions of labor can act as safeguards against issues such as pandemics related to water-supply failures and reduced agricultural yields. More broadly, we should carefully consider Marx’s suggestion that well-organized territorial divisions of labor are collective powers and can be a part of collaboration in human affairs. This extends to territorial specialization, which, consciously organized, could involve a collaborative partitioning of resources and capacities.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from the New York Times:

Support for wind power and solar energy among Republicans has dropped significantly since 2020, as older Republicans in particular soured on renewable energy sources, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center.

Still, a clear majority of Americans, 63 percent, want the country to stop adding carbon dioxide from the burning of oil, gas and coal to the atmosphere by 2050, the study found. That’s the goal that scientists say all major economies must reach to avoid the most deadly effects from climate change. To that end, 78 percent want more solar energy while 72 percent want more wind power, the survey found.

But that marks a softening in public support for renewable energy, driven by Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, whose approval of clean energy started to fall sharply after President Biden took office in 2021, according to Pew.

In the new survey, 64 percent of Republicans said they favor more solar farms, down from 84 percent the year Mr. Biden was elected. Similarly, 56 percent of Republicans said they support more wind turbine farms, down from 75 percent in 2020. Over the same period, support among Democrats for wind and solar remained high and steady.

“This is a sizable and significant change,” said Alec Tyson, associate director of research at Pew Research Center. “It’s a new level of polarization on energy issues that we had not previously seen.”

The public’s appetite for electric vehicles has also fallen, with just 29 percent of Americans saying they would consider an E.V. for their next purchase, down from 38 percent in 2023.

The future of clean energy and electric vehicles is at stake in this year’s fight for the White House between former President Donald J. Trump, who has dismissed global warming as a “hoax” and wants the country to continue to produce record amounts of oil and gas, and President Biden, who wants the country to pivot away from the fossil fuels that are driving climate change.

In 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, or the I.R.A., the nation’s most ambitious climate law, which invests at least $370 billion in the manufacturing of electric vehicles, batteries, solar panels and other renewable power. It also provides rebates to consumers who buy E.V.s, heat pumps and other clean energy technology. Mr. Biden has also used environmental regulations to limit the pollution from tailpipes and smokestacks.

All of that became fodder for Republicans, led by Mr. Trump and the fossil fuel industry, who have spent the past four years attacking renewables while promoting oil and gas. The American Petroleum Institute, a trade group, is running an eight figure advertising campaign that portrays fossil fuels as vital to the country’s prosperity. A group of Republican attorneys general has been challenging the Biden administration’s environmental regulations in a series of lawsuits.

The Pew study found that when it comes to energy policy, the gap between Democrats and Republicans has only widened since 2020.

In May 2020, 91 percent of Democrats said the national priority should be developing renewable energy, compared with 65 percent of Republicans.

Four years later, that gap has ballooned, due almost entirely to changing views among Republicans. Just 38 percent of Republicans now say renewable energy should be prioritized.

At the same time, the share of Republicans who believe that priority should be given to developing oil, coal and natural gas has grown from 35 percent to 61 percent, the survey found.

“Solar and wind are code for Democrat,” said Mike Murphy, a Republican political consultant and founder of EVRepublicans.org, which tries to build support for electric vehicles among Republicans. “We’ve started to apply political identities to things that shouldn’t have political identities.”

[destielcrack]

With the CW network canceling almost all scripted shows on its network, many great shows have been canceled or are facing the threat of cancellation. Gotham Knights is potentially one of the shows that unfortunately, could share this same fate.

Many fans all over the world support Gotham Knights and would love to see it continued for more seasons! Gotham Knights has an immense following all around the world. The show has been a massive success globally, where streaming services like HBOMAX and the CW app have continuously shown the series in the top 10 most watched of 2023, ranking number six for the current year and number three for the last two months with only the international hits "The Last of Us", and "Succession" ahead, respectively. That's astounding statistics considering the series has only been on the air for two months.

Gotham Knights is the most talked about show on the CW. From its gripping and action-packed storylines, to production and costume design, to the phenomenal acting talent of a diverse cast, there is constant buzz about potential award nominations for this series. Misha Collins, playing the tragic Harvey Dent who, eventually becomes the iconic villain Twoface, has been exceptional invoking the duality of an honorable and upstanding man, who succumbs to his darker, deadlier side. Olivia Rose Keegan, as Duela Doe, not only provides comic relief, but is also effective showing her vulnerable side.

If the show is canceled, then the producers of the show will have to find a new home for it. However, that's not an easy task. The CW network, as well as, Nexstar Media Group, Inc. will have to be convinced to sell the show to other networks or streaming services. I do believe, however, that with the show's immense popularity and success on HBOMAX and the CW app, that selling it would be the best option if it's not renewed. Considering its popularity worldwide, other networks and streaming services would hugely benefit from acquiring Gotham Knights due to its cheaper production costs and potential buyers of streaming memberships.

I was moved to start this petition because I believe that Gotham Knights is a television series that is needed on air and to be seen not only for its talented cast and hardworking crew, but also for its diversity and real life issues that people around the world suffer with. In today's political climate where discrimination is rampant, Gotham Knights, embraces a cast of characters, as well as, actors of different race, sexual orientation, and sexual identity. They promote inclusion and acceptance, especially with the LGBTQIA community. Gotham Knights's storylines are emotional and raw because they tackle issues that are relevant in the world today, such as, substance abuse, mental health issues, homophobia, transgender discrimination and income inequality. Gotham Knights deserves to be renewed!

I'm writing this because this is something I care about deeply and it won't happen without the support of people like you. Starting a petition isn't something would normally do, but I was moved to do so because not only is this a show that means so much to the fans but also, to the entire cast and crew, who worked with dedication and love to create a series that fans would adore. It would be incredibly sad to see them so disappointed. I know I'm not alone and together we can make this change happen. Please sign and share!

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Cows remain the untraceable victims of Amazon deforestation

The Legal Amazon’s six meatpacking plants authorized to export beef to the European Union have done little or nothing to adapt to the requirements in the EU Deforestation Regulation, issued by the economic bloc, which will take effect this year on December 30. A new Radar Verde study, shared with SUMAÚMA, shows that none of the exporters – Agra Agroindustrial de Alimentos, JBS, Marfrig Global Foods, Minerva, Naturafrig Alimentos, and Vale Grande Indústria e Comércio de Alimentos (Frialto) – implemented systems capable of controlling 100% of indirect suppliers, that is, the farms selling or transferring cattle from the Amazon region to other properties or intermediaries. Only Marfrig had already begun mapping its indirect chain, with 63% of the meatpacking plants at all of the companies included in the study controlling direct suppliers.

These companies, located in the state of Mato Grosso, have eight meatpacking plants and a total daily slaughter capacity of 5,870 animals. They have just been given extra time to, in practice, keep buying meat from deforested areas. That is because a group of 17 countries, including Brazil, have taken up exporter lobbying and asked to delay regulations that would stop the destruction of forests from being approved by European consumers.

By extending the timeline to implement the European Union’s Deforestation Regulation, each exporter will be able to continue operating in a region where at least 100,000 hectares are exposed to the risk of deforestation. For an idea of what this number represents, imagine tens times the entire area of the city of Paris. Now multiply this area by each of the six meatpacking plants. This is the potential devastation to the forest that could still be jointly caused by these companies in their meat production chains if strict control measures are not taken. Radar Verde’s estimate is conservative and considers meatpacking plants’ area of operation.

On October 2, the European Commission introduced a proposal agreeing to hold off the Deforestation Regulation until 2026, bringing benefits to cocoa, coffee, palm oil, natural rubber, timber, and soybean exporters as well. Large producers, like the meatpacking plants, were given 12 additional months to adapt to the new standards, while small producers have at least 18 more months. Just one symbolic European Parliament vote is needed to approve this decision, which had already cleared the Council of the European Union on October 16. The European Parliament’s vote is set for November 14.

Radar Verde‘s unprecedented study on European Union exports looked at data collected in 2023. The project, which was supported by O Mundo que Queremos and the Amazon Institute of People and the Environment, gives consumers and financial sources insight into which meatpacking plants are in control of and transparent about their production chains, that is, whether or not they contribute to deforestation in the forest region.

“What we’re seeing is an ecosystem of leniency to guarantee that meat contaminated by deforestation continues to be exported,” says Paulo Barreto, an associate researcher at the Amazon Institute of People and the Environment. He says that this system involves everyone from the people deforesting to farms operating in illegal areas and, obviously, up through the meatpacking plants buying their products, financial backers who claim to be committed to solutions, and the government itself, which doesn’t always act with due transparency.

Continue reading.