#I have a problem with text to speech videos that I can't explain but the worst is the ai voice ones. extra horrible on the ears tbh

[hollowsart]

me: oh hey that seems like a fun and/or interesting video topic to listen to, let's check it out--

video: ai text to speech or just regular text to speech

me: ah. never mind.

[xavigav]

The Reddit Blackout, #196, And Being New to Tumblr

okay i've seen a lot of people in the past ~24 hours or so confused by everything going on with Reddit & Tumblr from both sides - people new to tumblr who don't know how to use it, and tumblr users who don't know what's going on with reddit and why many of its users have joined up here i know this isn't really related to my blog but fun fact about me: i was up until recently a very active reddit user and even mod a subreddit, but I've also been on tumblr for about 3 years now on different accounts, so I think I can see pretty well from both sides of this and explain what's going on this post will be split in 2 sections: what happened with reddit (and what #196 means), and a guide for new users

1. What The Hell Is Going On With Reddit?

The thing that's caused all this ruckus is a major change to Reddit's API, which is what Reddit provides to people so they can pull directly from Reddit to make third-party apps or tools.

The change is that Reddit is changing its previously free API to be paid. Which on its own kinda sucks for developers, but it's not unexpected. They need to make money somehow, right?

The problem is that the API pricing is WAY TOO FUCKING EXPENSIVE. The developer of the most popular 3rd party Reddit app, Apollo, says it will cost him $20 million a year to continue running the app as normal.

Essentially, this pricing forces almost everything third-party to shut down, which causes 3 major problems:

Third-party apps cannot keep running, which sucks for normal users because Reddit's official app is awful. It's slow, its video player is a thing of nightmares, it doesn't have many useful features third-party developers have made.

It sucks even more for visually impaired users because they can't use the official Reddit app at all. Reddit's official app does not work with iOS's native text-to-speech function. Third party apps, on the other hand, often do. So Reddit is forcing blind users away.

Third-party moderator tools cannot keep running, which sucks for moderators because many rely on these tools to properly moderate their subreddits. And moderators are often necessary, because without them subreddits get banned and hate speech and even CSA can often run rampant.

So you see why this change is bad.

Reddit users were PISSED.

So over the past week and a half or so, they have been working on organizing a site-wide blackout. The majority of the most active subreddits have now gone private. Some are only doing it for 48 hours, others (such as r/196) are doing it indefinitely.

That's why you can't access most of Reddit right now, and that's why many users have come here.

You're probably still wondering, though - what is this #196?

Well, as you may guess, it's connected to that subreddit r/196 I just mentioned. r/196 is a subreddit which only has one rule: every time you visit, you must post before you leave.

That's it, that's the subreddit.

The thing about r/196 that set it apart from most other subreddits - and what lends the subreddit's users perfectly to Tumblr - is that it was dominated by queer and leftist users.

So now they've come here and set up shop in #196 and r/196 so they can continue their merry little shitposting.

There's a ton of lore related to r/196, actually, but this is already a long tumblr post and quite frankly I cannot be bothered to write about it at the moment.

2. I'm Here From Reddit, What Now?

Hello there, random new user. As a double-citizen of Reddit and Tumblr, let me show you around this place.

First off, there are some other people who are better at explaining that I am who have made some really helpful things. Watch this Strange Aeons video as a guide to Tumblr culture and functionality and read this post which directly compares Reddit and Tumblr.

Assuming you've done that, here's some additional advice of my own:

Do you miss sorting subreddits by top of all time/the year/the month? Well, you can do something very similar with tags! If you go to a tag at the top of the screen you can select top, and then at the dropdown that says "all time" you can select different time periods! Even 6 months, which Reddit hasn't ever had.

Tumblr has a lot of cool customization features! Even outside your icon/banner/bio, you can change you blog colors and on desktop you can have an html theme (which has its own thriving community here). That customization is part of what sets Tumblr apart from everywhere else - I think you'll enjoy playing with it.

Notes will probably confuse you at first. Unlike the different numbers for upvotes and comments, notes combines the total number of likes, reblogs, and replies into the same number.

Outside of organizing your own blog, when making your own posts tags are what help other people find your post. Use them! But don't abuse them, because then people will just block you.

There are three ways of people finding your post: if someone follows you, if someone follows the tag(s) assigned to your post, and if someone is just scrolling through the tag(s) assigned to your post (and also the secret 4th way no one uses, which is finding it on the trending page, but even if people did use it no one will find your post initially that way)

tumblr is no longer The Discourse Website. And unlike what Reddit wants you to believe for some reason, it is very much alive still. Most of the people seeking fights have moved to Twitter (though some have also moved back here again). You will not get any brownie points for being a dipshit like you do on some subreddits.

So there, welcome to the hellsite (affectionate), you'll pick up on all the in-jokes eventually, for now just try not to be a nuisance and soon enough this'll be your new internet home.

[brainrot-goes-brrrrrr]

Savannah Squad Presentation Night Headcanons/Drabble [2/3]

it has been forever :'D (everyone say thank you to @moonbiine)

ANYWAYS, here's part 2 :}

Part 1: Taylor & Logan Part 2: Ben & Tyler Part 3: Aiden & Ashlyn [WIP]

Logan's POV

Two hours and twenty-eight minutes. It has been two hours and twenty-eight minutes and we've been stuck at 76% complete for forty minutes. Whoever made Windows deserves to burn and I stand by that, cause what do you mean that they can push an update and force restart my laptop.

"Logan when was the last time you updated this?" "Logan, why are there fifteen updates that need to be downloaded?" "Bro, when was the last time you actually shut down your laptop?" ... "I've been busy, okay--"

So it might be my fault. Partially. I will admit that much, but the laptop's never given me a problem before and it was running fine. It's just old, and has a few odd... kinks? I mean, the left half of the mousepad is jammed to the point where it can't click, and, sure, the screen does go black every now and again, but just hit it a few times it works! It's character, charm even (and I can't be bothered to fix it...)!

It was, honest to God, easier for Aiden to run back to his place and grab his laptop.

"So we agree that Logan is off electronic duty right?" Taylor had asked as Ben was setting up the other computer to the television screen with Aiden helping. It was a unanimous decision. Ben and Aiden are the new tech guys.

"Yeah, that's probably for the better," I had conceded.

Ben Clarke

Ben goes next because he saved the groups sanity by suggesting that Aiden just gets his laptop. Everyone, thank Ben for the night not failing.

To address the obvious, Ben has a text to speech app on his phone, which is connected to a speaker, that he uses to present. I will say that there is a sort of humor in this for two reasons. One, the voice can either be monotoned like a typical text-to-speech program with funny pronunciation errors, or two, it will sound like one of those videos on tiktok where an AI is reading a tumblr post about SuperBats or something and gets progressively more expressive as time goes on. Personally, I want to hear exasperated robot Ben voice explaining to Aiden why "Life is a Highway" on repeat can and will be considered a torture method.

Ben's music taste is GODLY. And he's more of a eclectic listener too so he has experience with a good amount of genres. This man does not bash other genres of music that he doesn't care for, he thinks its rude to the person he's talking to and to the artist.

Aiden is the exception to this rule^^

DESPISES having to subscribe to music platforms. What do you mean that you can't listen to a song on repeat without paying, what do you mean that you will interrupt his carefully crafted playlist with a recommended song that does not fit the vibe. This end up derailing his presentation couple times.

He has a set criteria that he judges on: length, vibes, transitions, and replayability. Good playlists should at minimum be an hour, have similar vibes/sound while still being unique, the transitions between songs shouldn't be jarring, and the playlist shouldn't be painful to listen to after a month.

Taylor and Ashlyn helped him judge everyone's playlists by acting as secondary perspectives. Taylor is more open to everyone's music tastes while Ashlyn scrutinizes them more. They pretty much just took a playlist that everyone listens to regularly, one that they made but listen to it every so often, and their liked songs.

I would also like everyone to remember that the series is set in 2016... they would have songs mostly from the 2000s-2010s with the exceptions of some 90s and 80s songs. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, I'm just saying that I looked up 2010s hit songs and I'm filled with nostalgia.

Overall, Ben's criticisms and recommendations are genuinely thoughtful. Especially the recommendations. For each person, after critiquing their playlists, Ben made a slide of genres and artists that each person should check out to expand their tastes.

(I'll probably make a bit about what songs were on their playlist, idk tho)

Group Reaction (how they ranked in comparison to each other)

Personally, Tyler and Logan getting the best ratings because their playlists are very consistent in their vibes and are replayable. I also think that Ben's music taste fits the most with these two for some reason, so they got the most song recs out of everyone.

Ashlyn is third in the ranking. She has one or two that she listens to occasionally, and they're pretty short. They are absolute polar opposites though. One of the playlists is rock, since she canonically likes Paramore (if you don't, get well soon), and the other is classical music for her ballet performances.

Taylor is next. Her playlist isn't bad, its just... a bit everywhere. Like it starts pretty good, but you can tell that somewhere along the lines of creating this playlist she just added songs that she remembered that she likes. It mostly fits the same genre. Ben makes her a more organized playlist after the presentation.

Aiden is dead last. It's not because his music taste is shit. Aiden actually has a pretty good music taste. No. Its because he only listens to his liked songs on repeat like a monster. It is musical whiplash. You go from a movie theme song, to crying, to listening to white girl club music, to rock, to crying again, and then for some reason the Home Depot jingle???? The only playlists that he makes are for jokes really. Do you know the John Mulaney bit where he plays "What's New Pussycat?" 27 times. Yeah, that's Aiden.

Tyler Hernandez

Tyler's next, and, I'm letting you know now that he sprayed the fuck out of Aiden for interrupting. Yeah, Ash pulled them a part.

Motherfucker is so pleased with himself, like its honestly so funny. Aiden had him by the collar and Tyler was just fucking smiling. Taylor does throw her slipper at him for being rude, but he could honestly care less.

The slideshow itself is the most soulless thing ever made, man used the Blank Google Slides template and called it a day. Like one stock image on each slide, and its so pixelated. He probably did it like an hour ago. That's why his presentation is funny because he's just jabbing at Aiden over and over with a basic slideshow that you'd see someone pull out in a Spanish 1-2 class.

You know what? He probably had another presentation about what piercing he think would suit the group best, and just did this one out of spite cause Aiden was being loud. I take back my previous statement about him doing it an hour before getting to Logan's place, he did this on his PHONE WHEN THE LAPTOP WAS UPDATING!!!! Like Logan was taking a walk, Ben was trying to fix the computer, the girls went to make sandwiches, Aiden was running errands, and Tyler made this in an hour.

His presentation is based off a tier system where it gets more effective with each method. Methods 1-3 are pretty basic where its just stuff like duct taping his mouth shut, 4 and onwards just gets funny

I'll be completely honest, each way he put is wild, and it gets progressively more deranged as the presentation goes on. These one's my favorite

"Number 9: Dying You know, I thought this would be the best way, but the bastard got crushed by a ceiling and walked it off. I want you to try and convince me that Aiden wouldn't crawl out of hell just to ruin my day. " "Number 10: Put him in a room alone with Ashlyn's mom and dad *insert a picture of Aiden sitting not so comfortably in between Ashlyn's parents* I don't even think I need to say anything else, I mean, I will, but like... look at him"

This is honestly the shortest presentation of the night but so far it's the most chaotic (he will quickly lose this title).

Tyler went through two spray bottles, mainly for Aiden, but he did spray Taylor once or twice. She threw a shoe at him. It's only fair.

Groups Reaction

Aiden is standing to the side with a towel around himself because Logan said his grandparents would kill them for ruining their couch. He's not exactly pissed but he is kind of sulking. Honestly this just makes his presentation so much better for him.

You know how Tyler asked for suggestions in the beginning, Ben and Ashlyn give him genuine ideas. Mainly Ben, just out of good humor you know. And Tyler's taking notes.

Taylor is giggling, but she does feel a bit bad for Aiden. At some point she gives him a consolation sandwich to raise his spirits.

Logan, however, doesn't and he's just quietly enjoying the scene that's unfolding around him.

The end of these two presentations are by far more chaotic than the first two, and it feels like its only going to get worse from here(/pos). Because right now Aiden is fighting with Tyler, getting him soaked too, Taylor is filming them while Logan provides commentary, and Ashlyn is standing with Ben setting up the next powerpoint.

While it was initially decided that Aiden would go last, Ashlyn suggested that she and him switch. Mainly so that he can drip dry while presenting, and sit down when he's done.

Aiden is following a presentation that was just jabbing at him, how do you think his is going to end up now?

[crabs-nonsense]

Something I love is my mom's romantic relationship. Like her partner and the ways they interact are both so wholesome and amazing. So you guys are gonna unlock some lore here.

Over two years ago my dad cheated on my mom and she said their relationship was over, because that was a rule she's always had for herself, once a cheater always a cheater. After that she started dating her current partner in a long distance relationship. They are an enby who lives in Norway and the two of them met on tiktok because they both cosplay the marauders era from Harry Potter.

In the two years they've been together my mother has gone and spent several months visiting them and meeting their family twice, once for summer and once for winter. Their family loves her and regularly invites her to things even though she can't attend. They video chat pretty much daily and text constantly. They've seen eachother at their highs and lows and been there through it all. An extremely funny fact is that my mom started learning Norwegian from a 6yr old with a very specific dialect and a speech impediment, because her partners son mostly speaks Norwegian with a bit of English.

Anyways the reason I was thinking about this is that yesterday I was in a voice chat with my bsd cosplay friends and my mom was across from me talking about the paperwork for getting citizenship through marriage with her partner. And I'd said she doesn't have to be engaged for a long time before getting married, which very much confused my friends and I had to explain. So it's been on my mind lol.

I love that they've talked about the steps needed for all of us the get citizenship, and how to get my sister and I onto disability there. And they even told my mom they might get a bigger house just so we can all still live together. They also send us Norwegian candy from time to time (sending things to the US is super expensive so it's not very often). They also send all her kids presents both randomly and for birthdays and Christmas. I have a crocheted pokemon plushie from them that I absolutely adore.

But yeah despite my mom being completely done with my dad he spent a year and a half trying to "win her back" but in like a really semi toxic roundabout way that all of us could see would never work except for him. And he only this year finally moved out of the house. Divorce papers FINALLY got filed and we all know he's going to drag it out and fight for full custody just to spite her. So because of that my mom and her partner are only dating, but mom has said the moment the divorce goes through she wants to take a small trip to Norway so we can all meet them in person and she wants to propose in person. Her partners son (again he's six) insists he's planning their wedding (they've never said anything about getting married to him), and he collects rocks and shells every time they go to the beach to use as center pieces for the tables.

Another thing is that with the safety of trans people quickly fading here they've also talked about how if things get bad enough that we are in danger here, we can all go to Norway. Like they told my mom if she suddenly said hey we're getting on a plane and will be there at x time, they will get their family together to get large enough transportation and housing for us (I have 4 siblings so there's 6 of us in all).

And and and!!! They are also disabled and have been since they were a kid. They don't have the same issues my sister and I do but they do have joint problems and chronic pain just like us so its been amazing to be getting first hand advice for a lot of things. They are so amazing i can't wait to meet them in person and give them a hug honestly.

[yanderefairyangel]

Maybe at this rate I will end up responding to all petty comments about Engage but sometimes this is too much.

Ok, so for a record I saw some people saying that Alear making a bandage for Veyle was a poor attempt at seeting up their conflict since Alear could obviously recognize her once she was demasked since they don't know anybody else looking like that.

Ok so 1) this is a set up for Veyle and Alear becoming friends but I do think it was a bit rushed and needing polishing.

2)I really like how people uses one of Alear's dialogue to point at the game being dumb " No, it can't be. But... that's the bandage I used to dress her wound".

Guess what ? It's a localization thing.

Original text is this :

別人？でも、あの包帯は私が巻いたものです。

あれは一体・

" A different person ? But it's the bandage I putted on her. What in the world is that ?"

... in japanese, 別人/betsujin means "a different person, another person, someone else" since it's composed of 別/betsu meaning different, separate and 人/hito meaning a person. This sentence was supposed to imply that despite seeing the same appearance, Alear didn't recongnized Veyle due to how different she was almost as if they were different people, I guess a hint for the whole Veyle having a second personality due to a spell thing. This means Alear was disturbed because on one side this girl looked like Veyle but her personality was too different, hence them looking at her feet to check on the bandage and asking themselves what on earth was happening.

Whether this changes a lot or not the whole thing is up to you, but to me, the japanese version of the text puts emphasis on Alear's denial but also their confusion due to Veyle not only acting different, but also speaking different and not only because her tone is different, but also because Veyle and her evil self have a slightly different way of speech (but I aren't knowledgable enough to explain that), except the difference are less marking then when Rafal switches to speaking as Nil or as himself. The English version tone down a lot this impression of total confusion from Alear. And also, gave room to nickpicking this. In short, it's because when the Veyle switches, they feel so much like different person that you can barely think they are even with the same appearance.

It's not like the first time a media tries this. In Elfen Lied, when Nyu and Lucy switches, the whole atmosphere is different and the characters can barely recognize them as the same person. In Pandora Hearts, despite sharing a body with him, when Jack controls Oz body, the atmosphere and the art are slightly different.

Fire emblem however is a video game, they don't have much other way to convey emotions and shows things then using visual language and dialogue. I do think it could have been used more efficiently in Engage's case, but it's clearly what was striven for.

I just felt the need to mention it. I do think, they could have emphasized more Alear being in a denial and that the betrayal from Veyle woudl have probably impacted much more the player if Veyle and Alear got more time to spend together to tease their friendship/siblinghood a bit more, but imo the manga is probably gonna solve this problem.

[lee-hakhyun]

orv is the first and probably only time i'd ever translate something. i just figured out everything on my own, so it's probably a mess, but here is the stuff i use (under the cut, because it's quite a lot)

for unedited mtl, i take screenshots, upload them to discord, download them on my phone, translate with papago's text on img, and then upload them back to discord to read (you can skip this if you just want to read the images on your phone instead). the translation is rough but it is readable.. though it may take a bit to figure out what terms are which.

make sure the text on the screenshots are spaced out enough (or the ocr will combine lines into a mess), and it'll end up looking something like this

these are the visual settings i use, theme colour doesn't matter but dark mode is easier on the eyes. this takes like.. 5 minutes. it's quite easy (but tedious haha)

now if you want to edit mtl. i'm not sure how it is for others, but it takes me a while. hours to days for a single side story chapter depending on complexity ^^;

while you could just ocr the images to get the text, i've found it to be pretty unreliable. for any sentence that doesn't feel right, i find it easier to just type it out directly into the translator (papago mainly, deepl if the sentence still comes out weird). learning hangul is really not that hard! here's a good video that you can start off with

and for diphthongs specifically, this video explains it really clearly

if you'd like to start learning korean, this guy has a lot of good beginner videos too (the playlist is in the description). it's not needed for editing mtl, but knowing basic words and grammar helps a LOT

for typing, i used a website that had the korean keyboard up first. i copied the sentences, very slowly. and eventually i memorized it. at that point i ditched the website and downloaded the korean keyboard layout. for windows at least it's windows key + space to switch language to korean, then right alt to swap between hangul and english, and right ctrl after typing out hangul to bring up hanja

i work with the korean and mtl side by side, and bounce back and forth while going sentence by sentence. sometimes you don't need to do anything other than just rewording the sentence to sound more normal, but when it doesn't make sense that's when i start typing it into the translator

so. you throw a sentence into the translator, and you still can't figure out what it means? mirinae!

this breaks a sentence down, explaining the grammar and you'll be able to tell if there's any words that are werid

here's an example. now when doing this, there might be a word or phrase that stands out. that's probably what's wrong with the sentence. either you typed something wrong, or it's something that a translator can't pick up. google it :) there's probably someone else who already asked what is means, or it's a term that namu.wiki usually has. namuwiki is like a less serious korean wikipedia, but it usually has the terms you need. do look for other sources though, because namuwiki isn't the most accurate sometimes..

add en. in front of a namuwiki link to get a mtled page (example)

if it's a standard word though, just use naver dictionary :)

and for hanja, i look at this as well as googling

if i'm still confused on how a word is used, i'll go to twitter and look at how it's used in different contexts

and finally. keep a note of those terms that are book specific or that the translator have problems picking up. it will help so much when you don't have to go down a hole every time that term comes up again. or just terms that come up a lot. it helps to keep things consistent :)

here's a snippet of my notepad. there's definitely a better way to do this. but i don't feel a need to find anything else right now

how do u set up machine translation?

OK SO

First of all, I downloaded a website translator. I use mate translate, a firefox extension. It's an absolute lifesaver for navigating ANY site not in English.

Using that I made an account on Munpia and bought the sctir chapters as I translated. Munpia doesn't let you select text, so I used an OCR website! (Aka sites to get the text from images)

Now the two that I used were imagetotext, which is quite fast, but likes to fuck up and malfunction, forcing me to restart the process a lot. Bc of that I switched to prepostseo, which works well enough, but does require you to do a captcha test every. single. time. And I am SO FUCKING BAD at those that I went half insane.

So what I would do is to take a screenshot of whatever page I'm on, get the text through the OCR and paste it into Obsidian (I make two separate files for each chapter - RAWs and TLed) until I have the whole chapter.

Now, the formatting does get kinda fucked up. While I use the text on Munpia as a reference, I fix up the formatting of the text.

This is where it gets a little complicated: I like to use Azure to translate. It's a service offered by Microsoft, which includes a translator that, in my experience, is a little better than other machines. And since I don't edit the text this has proven to be VERY useful to me.

But setting up Azure is an absolute bitch and a half so I could also recommend Papago. They include definitions of certain words too, which is really useful. You're just gonna have to do it bit by bit.

Lastly? I recommend learning hangul. It's super fuckin fun (to me, but im a huge nerd) and it will help you with understanding when something's mistranslated a LOT.

The translations are pretty.. Well, they're unedited machine translation. But at least you won't have to wait 12 years for all 870 chapters to get translated. I say that you enjoy the process (It's very very repetitive and I highly recommend putting on a show in the meantime!) and just.. well, just have fun.

I've found that I really enjoy some of the descriptions even when they're not the best. And good grammar gets overestimated anyways. Talk to any older immigrant and they'll tell you the most fantastic stories while inventing sentence structures never before seen (Speaking as a child of immigrants here lol)

And gosh even with the translations being fucked up I've still had so many moments where I got so emotional I cried. The author is a wonderful writer and I can't wait to learn korean enough to be able to read the original text

That's all for now! If it sounds complicated, thats because I do NOT know how to keep myself short ^^

[mcrmadness]

This is a post about die ärzte but also about my German skills.

So, there is this pretty fascinating thing I have realized since my German skills have gotten better. Right now my language level is somewhere around B2 - I don't know where my actual language level is but this result I keep getting in all online language tests usually (often it's B2.1 I get).

But what's fascinating is that I have noticed that I am sometimes able to understand dä, especially Farin, better than even native Germans. I have more than twice explained to a German what Farin says in something because they didn't understand/catch it but I for some reason did understand. Also sometimes people, native Germans, write in the tags of my posts that they have no clue what Farin says somewhere and I'm like "???" cos I had no problems with understanding him, again. I still struggle with understanding what Bela says most of the time because he just keeps mumbling so much, but Farin's articulation is so good that it's easy to understand. (About Rod I don't know yet, he speaks so rarely, but I'd say I understand him more than Bela but not sure if as much as I understand Farin.)

I'm wondering if it's the speed of Farin's speech that causes problems to people because it did for me too, but it no longer seems to be a problem for me. I myself am not a fast talker but my younger sister is, so I have got used to sometimes being the only one in the house who can interpret her, so maybe same if happening with Farin when he speaks fast but just uses enough words I already know? And also I'm pretty sure my possible ADHD affects this because in general I am able to notice and see fast-paced things more often than others, e.g. I really enjoy movies or series where a lot is going on because it keeps me stimulated enough. So maybe that affects my hearing abilities too, even if I have auditory processing problems sometimes, too. Altho, on my case it's always attention related and not that I wouldn't be able to understand audio. It's just that I can't focus, and I cannot remember (almost) anything I just heard if I don't see the text with my eyes too.

Of course one major thing probably is that I've mainly been exposed to the Berlin dialect because I literally only watch dä interviews, all day every day. My own accent in German is probably very Finnish (idk, I don't really speak German ever?) but I gotta say that some things I already pronounce the way Farin and Bela do, too. I usually don't even notice it, I just remember once doing some talking exercises on some website and comparing my pronunciation to the exercise's audio and realizing that the vowel sounds are not actually done the way I do them, and that I do them like they are in Berlinerisch. So maybe I just have watched so many dä interviews that I'm more familiar with their dialects than I'm with standard German or other German dialects, and therefore can sometimes understand them almost better than native Germans do. Interesting.

Also I make it sound like I would actually understand German really well but I don't. It depends on everything so much and I'd say I usually understand about 70-90% of what I hear but sometimes way less if the audio is bad. Which is often is with older dä videos, which again is probably another reason for why I'm able to understand them more or less cos I've got used to those low-quality audios.

[dolan-sensations]

SUNLIT SENSATIONS | the first ray of sunlight

how Grayson and Caily met

As bright and nice as it was in Los Angeles that day was definitely not Grayson's day. His own personal sky covered by dark clouds. He's been sitting in front of his  computer for hours, trying to finish editing the last video he and his twin brother filmed. He was almost done when suddenly and for no reason the power went out, ruining all the process he had made during the past hours. As annoyed as he was he did his best trying to fix it and redoing all his work. At this point his back was sore and his stomach was roaring for some food, lunch time had passed a long time ago but it was still too early to have dinner. An avocado toast, you can't go wrong with that no matter what time it is, so he headed to the kitchen to get the breather he well-deserved. But, once again, it was not Grayson's day.

"Yo, E." "Weren't you going to the grocery store today?" The younger twin raised his voice, making sure his brother could hear him from the living room. "Weren't you doing the groceries today?" 

"Holly shit I forgot."

"Ethan." He spetted, clearly annoyed at his twin brother who not only finished all the avocados but he also forgot about doing the grocery and after a short fight, more like a speech from Grayson, on housework and responsabilities, he was heading to the grocery store to get his much needed avocados.

Did I mention today wasn't Grayson's day? Because after driving for almost 20 minutes to the store he found out there were no avocados left. He left out a sight, frustrated, but he was hungry still so he walked through the isles, trying to find something appetizing but also vegan.

Meanwhile in the milk isle there she was, looking up to the top shelf, where the lactose-free milk was sitting. There was just one problem, she couldn't reach it. She thought about climbing the shelf to get it, but she knew how clumsy she was and she was almost certain the whole shelf would fall down. She also thought about jumping until she could reach it, yeah she would look ridiculous but she would get her milk. And she was about to do it, when someone walked  to the milk isle. 

"Excuse me!" She said, trying to get the attention of the boy that was walking in her direction, too busy with his phone in one hand and holding a cereal box in the other. When she glanced at him she felt like time stopped. The guy was handsome to say the least, a real life Disney prince, or the greek God Apollo in bone and flesh, those were the only two ways that came to her mind to describe the boy, probably her age or so, that was standing in front of her. He looked up from his screen, the frown that's been adorning his face for the past few hours disappearing at the sight of her.

He didn't answer, God he probably even forgot how to speak, he could only look at those dark brown eyes that reminded him of his favorite chocolate from when he was a child. Was she even talking to him? No, there was no way, that was not his day, a literal angel was in front of him, that couldn't be real, no. He only got out of his trance state when he heard her voice once again. "Excuse me, can you help me? I can't reach the lactose-free milk." His eyes were not lying to him, she was in fact real.

 "Oh, yeah, of course." He said, already reaching for the milk, looking at the bottle when he had it in his hand. "Lactose-free milk? I've never heard of that, who even buys that?  Have you tried almond? Oat?" He questioned in a funny tone, not trying to be rude or laught at her, no, that was his poor and failed attempt to flirt with the beautiful woman who asked him for help.

But when he turned to the girl, her sweet expression was long forgotten, her dark brows coming together in a frown. Was he really making fun of her and her taste? Grayson's face just dropped, realizing what he just did. He got stunned by her and he tried to be funny and flirty but clearly he fucked up. It just wasn't his day. "I buy THAT. Thank you." She responded with a cold tone before walking away from him, not giving him any chance to explain himself or apologize.

—

It's been almost a week since his little incident at the grocery store, yet he couldn't stop thinking about that girl. It's known that he's the twins that falls in love 7 times per day, but this time? No, this time was different. He only  saw her for like two minutes but her face was already tattooed on his brain. He would be lying if he said he didn't drive himself to that same store every single day hoping to see her again. And that's where he was right now, in the parking lot of that same store, sitting in the passenger seat of Ethan's Tesla ready to leave. 

But then he saw it, fuck, he would recognize that hair anywhere. "Dude, what the f-" Ethan questioned the second his younger twin brother stepped out of the car without saying a word, running towards the car of the girl who was about to leave.

"Hey! Wait, please!" She turned around to see the guy who made fun of her, the fucking greek god she met a few days ago and quite frankly she couldn’t get off of her mind was running to her, so she quickly jumped in her car and Grayson lost all hope for a second, but it quickly came back to him when she didn't close the door, she just sat there, looking at him with an impassive look on her face. 

He got a little intimidated by that, her dark eyes piercing his sou. Was it possible for a stare to be that intense? Apparently yes, but he fucked up once and he was not willing to do it again. "I'm so sorry about the other day. I was just stressed and nothing was going my way and then I saw you looking all kinds of pretty and cute and I tried to be funny because you lit my day and made it so much better by just asking me for help but...fuck. I was a jerk, okay? I know it. It wasn't my intention, but I don't know how to act in front of pretty girls and I-" 

His rambling was suddenly cut off by a laugh, a soft one coming from her lips while she tried to hide her face with her hair. Oh my God did he make her blush? "It's okay, I was a little bit of a bitch too. I'm sorry." Yep, he made her blush. And that was exactly what he needed to boost his confidence.

“So...would you like to-" And once again he was cut off, only this time not by the gorgeous girl in front of him, but by his annoying twin brother who was honking at him. Grayson turn to look at him, and she couldn't help but laugh softly again seeing how frustrated the poor guy was getting. She quickly grabbed her phone and handed it to him, catching his attention. "Here, text you from my phone."

 He took the phone in complete shook, SHE was asking for his number and he froze for another few seconds until he heard another honk, and this time he was kinda thankful for it because it brought him back to reality. So he started typing pretty fast, adding himself to her contacts and then sending a text message to himself, giving back her phone to..."Wait, what's your name?" "Caily, but not like Kylie Jenner, with a C and an A"

"Okay, Caily with a C and an A. Okay." He repeated with the stupidest (and cutest if you ask Caily) grind on his face walking towards his brother's car, who was honking at him for the third time. "Oh and I am-" 

"Grayson" She completed his sentence, reading his name out of her phone screen with a smile. He already loved how his name sounded when it came from her lips. He waved her goodbye and got in Ethan's car with the biggest smile on his face, one that not even his brother could erase with his pettiness.

Suddenly Grayson’s personal sky was not grey anymore, since a tiny ray of sunlight was making its way through the dark clouds, the first of so many.

tags: @justordinaryjen, @ethandolxns & @persistence-ofmemories for the inspo ❤️

it's shitty and cheesy af but that's who i am, sorry

[punkscowardschampions]

Drew & Ro

Drew: [lunch time 'cos Ro is too good and busy swotting to text in lessons and we all know it] Drew: Hey my love, how's your day going? 💘 Ro: Fine, thank you Drew: Well Drew: clearly not Drew: what's wrong? 😔 Ro: Hm, I wonder Drew: Try talking to me about it Drew: come on Ro: Oh so now you'd like to talk Ro: Interesting Drew: I always want to talk to you Drew: don't be silly Ro: Do not call me silly Drew: I'm not but I don't understand why you're being so agressive with me right now Ro: Well, I don't understand why you think it's perfectly acceptable to spend the weekend at Carly's, without so much as checking in with me at any point, and expect me not to have a negative reaction to that Drew: Well, I know you had ample invite to attend too, almost as well as I know and knew you wouldn't want to come Drew: not to mention it was your sister's birthday Drew: one of us had to show face there, no? Ro: So it's my fault? Okay Drew: I'm not trying to place blame Drew: I'm just asking, why are you mad Ro: Either you or I could have been dead in a ditch, why do you not care? Drew: That's a little dramatic, babe Drew: I care about you but I knew you were at home Drew: why would I be worried Ro: And I knew exactly where you were so why wouldn't I be worried? Drew: Babe Drew: You're so sweet but you don't need to worry about me ever Drew: I can take care of myself Ro: Please do not babe me or misunderstand me right now Drew: What's the problem? Ro: If you want to behave as though you are single, be single Ro: It's not a problem Drew: What are you talking about Drew: because we're dating, I'm not allowed to go out? Drew: I'm sure you don't mean it that way but that sounds so controlling Ro: Of course you're allowed to go out, Drew Ro: I'm simply trying to ascertain why you want to go there so badly Ro: Or I would be if it wasn't obvious Drew: Want didn't come into it, particularly Drew: sure, it was fine, standard party Drew: as I said, one of us had to, you know she doesn't have many friends Ro: She had Ali and Caleb Drew: Yeah, would you want to be left out of things? Drew: We're all friends Ro: I'm aware of how easily she makes friends Drew: That's something you'll have to sort between yourselves Drew: I'm not interested in a catfight Drew: I barely spoke to her, if that makes you feel any better Ro: If it's true, it does Drew: of course I didn't Drew: she was off her head, that kept her plenty busy Drew: ask Caleb or Ali if you really don't believe me Drew: but that hurts, not gonna lie Ro: Less than a moment ago you were trying to explain to me that you two are best friends and she desperately needed you there as a guest so forgive me if I'm now slightly unsure of you saying that you barely saw or spoke to her Ro: I do know what she's like though Ro: Which is why I had no desire to attend Drew: I did not say that Drew: it's about showing up Drew: and I had no desire to force you Ro: Showing up for her Drew: What good would me showing up on Saturday have done Drew: your sister doesn't like me Drew: Ali's mum, either Ro: I like you Drew: Do you? Ro: I wouldn't feel jealous if I didn't Drew: Jealous? Of her? Drew: You're so funny Drew: she's nothing in comparison to you, please Ro: It's not funny in the least if you'd rather spend time with her instead of me Drew: of course I wouldn't Drew: it's Drew: your family Drew: I'm just not comfortable around them Ro: I know Ro: And I am sorry for that, for them Drew: I know, it isn't your fault Drew: I'm not blaming you Drew: can't you come here after school Drew: I miss you Ro: Do you miss me enough for me to cancel on all the piano lessons I'm supposed to give? Drew: Definitely Ro: I shouldn't, Tess is in a really bad mood, but of course I want to Drew: All the more reason to come see me Drew: let Ali deal, it's because of her, not you Ro: I doubt very much she'll be here herself but yes, you do make a persuasive point Ro: Are you going to feel better by then? Drew: True Drew: depends how well she's feeling, and Caleb Drew: I'm fine, I told you Drew: as long as we are? Ro: You did tell me that but I'd like you to be better than fine, because I've missed you too Drew: then come Ro: Okay Ro: Forgive me so I can forgive you Drew: I forgive you Drew: it's cute, really Ro: You're really cute and forgiven Drew: 😊 Drew: I like you too, you know Ro: Do you? Drew: Yes Drew: I'll show you Ro: I wish you had decided to come to school and could therefore be here with me now Drew: I'm sorry 😔 Drew: even trying to half keep up with everyone meant I was a little worse for wear Drew: but I'm surviving Ro: What can I bring you so you feel better, other than myself? Drew: 😏 Drew: you're so nice Ro: I can respect any ceasefire that's called, and anyway, I don't actually enjoy being anything other than nice to you, deserved or otherwise Ro: I'll be less and less nice if you keep me waiting on an answer to my question though Ro: I feel very impatient all of a sudden Drew: Awh come on, babe Drew: you've gotta be nice, you know I deserve that Ro: Hm Ro: For liking and missing me, don't I deserve that? Drew: You know what I want Drew: you're smart Ro: Not that it would take a genius Ro: I want the same things, you know Drew: Yeah? Drew: You could always show me Ro: Once you've shown me how much you like me, as you've already agreed to do, it'd be so unforgivable of me not to at least attempt to do the same, wouldn't it? Drew: [an array of lovely pictures 'cos he's so vain as we know lol, you asked for this Rosaline] Ro: I hope making me speechless is what you also want because Drew: unless you're planning to do a video for me, like Drew: it's definitely a bonus Ro: I'm at school not the relative privacy of my own home, remember, I can't make any such plans Drew: Worth a shot 😉 Ro: Are you trying to get me expelled? Drew: Maybe Drew: you know you'd rather be with me right now Ro: You know I would is what you mean Drew: Details, details, babe Drew: your record is far too spotless for that Drew: you'd barely get in trouble, I bet Drew: and that's only if you got caught, anyway Ro: Details are very important Ro: You shouldn't be so quick to dismiss them Drew: I won't Drew: when you send your pictures I'll study them very, very carefully Ro: When I send them I'll make sure you'll want to Ro: My record is spotless because I am a perfectionist Drew: you're so hot Ro: Hotter than her? Drew: of course Drew: hotter than any girl at our school Ro: That's actually impossible Ro: Ali goes to our school, when she can be bothered Drew: so? Drew: you're hotter than her Ro: No, I'm not Drew: you are to me Ro: I don't know what to say Drew: you're my girlfriend for a reason Ro: Yes, but I suppose I don't always understand what that reason is Drew: well I know it so you don't need to worry about that Ro: I'll try, which as you know means I'll succeed eventually Drew: 💘 Ro: Lunch is almost over, not to be the bearer of bad news Drew: am I getting my pictures Ro: That's actually impossible as well Ro: How can I? Drew: come on, all you need is a second in the bathroom stall Ro: Oh god no, the lighting in there is awful! You'd leave me immediately after they were received Drew: I promise you, no boy gives a shit about lighting Ro: I'm taking no such chances, thank you Ro: Besides you're not just any boy, you're you and I'll be worth the wait as I said, because I'm me Drew: 😒 Ro: Drew Ro: Believe me Drew: Whatever Drew: have a nice afternoon Ro: I obviously won't if you're annoyed with me Drew: just Drew: how can I believe you? Drew: this isn't the first time, is it Ro: I'll keep apologising if you wish but I'm well aware that isn't what you really want Ro: Nevertheless, irrespective of this being the first time or not, I don't have a speech prepared ready and waiting to put all your misgivings to rest Drew: Don't Drew: just don't say it if you aren't gonna do it Ro: Don't speak to me like that Ro: Like I'm sitting here, planning this Drew: Like what Drew: it's what happened, I've not been rude about it Ro: And I'm grateful for that, okay? You've been so good to me about everything Ro: I did mean what I said though, I do want everything you want Drew: Whenever you're ready then Ro: Do you still want to see me later or should I not cancel piano? Drew: you decide Drew: see how serious you are Ro: There's no decision to be made, of course I want to see you, it's been days Ro: I've been thinking about you constantly in all of that time Drew: I missed you too Ro: I'll come over now if it'll help restore your faith in me Drew: Serious? Ro: I'm hardly known for my sense of humour, am I? Ro: You're important to me, I want you to know that and if you truly don't, well Ro: I'll have to take steps, starting now Drew: You're really special Drew: you know that? Drew: too nice to me Ro: All of that is as true about you and could easily be directed at me Ro: I really do know how special you are and I'm going to lose you just because I Ro: Well, for starters because I don't know how to finish that sentence Ro: *not Drew: You won't Drew: it's okay, I like you, remember Ro: But is it okay if I more than like you? Drew: I'm not going to complain Ro: Please don't because I'm leaving school right now and it would honestly be so awkward Drew: 😂 Drew: I promise Ro: Fine, I believe you and I'll keep walking towards rather than away from you then Drew: Good, please do Ro: You know I have no choice but to meet your politeness with my own Drew: You don't need to be polite when you get here Drew: it's just me and you Ro: However you want me to behave when I get there, that's of course what I need to do Drew: Babe Ro: Sorry, that was a lot of enthusiasm on my part, I can also do aloof and hard to get if you'd rather that during the longest bus ride in history Drew: Enthusiasm is good Drew: I like it Ro: Mentally noted Ro: What else do you like? Drew: That's a big question Ro: Oh. Well, it doesn't have to be Drew: like you said, doesn't take a genius Drew: you know Ro: I want it to be perfect though Ro: Not just for me but for you Drew: I can make that happen\ Drew: trust me Ro: I have so much faith in you Drew: I'm not gonna let you down Ro: I might let you down, I already have Drew: Impossible Ro: It's certainly a lot more plausible than the two of us falling for each other the way we have but there's no denying it happened or how real my feelings for you are Drew: 💘 Ro: I'm doing our homework, yes mine AND yours which I dutifully collected from morning lessons so that we don't have to waste any more time once I finally arrive Ro: Everything indeed does happen for a reason including how far away you live from all other marks of civilisation Drew: And you question why we're together Drew: you're the best Drew: don't need to tell me that though, it's the worst Drew: all the biking I do means I can skip leg day though so that's something Ro: Next time I'll definitely follow suit and bring my bike, not that I intend on making a habit out of taking the bus at this particular time of day Ro: But it would undoubtedly be more productive, homework assignments notwithstanding Drew: Shame 😜 Ro: Are you determined to be such a bad influence for the duration of our relationship or simply on days when you miss me? Drew: But I miss you always, of course Ro: I see, in that case, I'll have to always do whatever I can to ensure you don't have to Drew: that's the plan Drew: I need to go shower before you get here Ro: Go Ro: I have essays to write Drew: 😘 Ro: féach leat go luath, mo chroí 💗

[xtruss]

Trump has blamed “ANTIFA” for violent clashes with police during George Floyd protests, but records show that he's likely wrong

President Donald Trump said antifa is responsible for the violence that has ensued at protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd.

Hundreds of demonstrators march toward Lafayette Park and the White House to protest against police brutality and the death of George Floyd, on June 2, 2020 in Washington, DC. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

President Donald Trump characterized those clashing with law enforcement as radical-left thugs engaging in domestic terrorism — and Attorney General William Barr backed him.

But per a new report from The Associated Press, there is little evidence to back that claim.

The Associated Press analyzed several sources of information, including court records, employment histories, social media posts for 217 people arrested last weekend in Minneapolis and Washington, DC.

Most protesters that were arrested are local residents and are not affiliated with antifa, a loosely organized left-wing group of anti-fascism activists, according to the report.

Scott Nichols, a balloon artist, was riding home on his scooter from the protests engulfing Minneapolis last weekend when he was struck by a rubber bullet fired from a cluster of police officers in riot gear.

"I just pulled over and put my hands up, because I didn't want to get killed," said Nichols, 40. "Anybody that knows me knows I wasn't out there to cause problems."

Nichols, who before the coronavirus pandemic made his living performing at children's birthday parties under the stage name "Amazing Scott," spent two days in jail before being released on criminal charges of riot and curfew violation.

President Donald Trump has characterized those clashing with law enforcement after George Floyd's death under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer as organized, radical-left thugs engaging in domestic terrorism, an assertion repeated by Attorney General William Barr. Some Democrats, including Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, initially tried to blame out-of-state far-right infiltrators for the unrest before walking back those statements.

There is scant evidence either is true.

Protesters arrested have been primarily local residents

The Associated Press analyzed court records, employment histories, social media posts, and other sources of information for 217 people arrested last weekend in Minneapolis and the District of Columbia, two cities at the epicenter of the protests across the United States.

Rather than outside agitators, more than 85% of those arrested by police were local residents. Of those charged with such offenses as curfew violations, rioting and failure to obey law enforcement, only a handful appeared to have any affiliation with organized groups.

Those charged with more serious offenses related to looting and property destruction – such as arson, burglary and theft – often had past criminal records. But they, too, were overwhelmingly local residents taking advantage of the chaos.

Protesters arrested have not been primarily left-leaning activists

Social media posts indicate only a few of those arrested are left-leaning activists, including a self-described anarchist. But others had indications of being on the political right, including some Trump supporters.

The president has tried to portray the protesters and looters with a broad brush as "radical-left, bad people," ominously invoking the name "antifa," an umbrella term for leftist militants bound more by belief than organizational structure. Trump tweeted last Sunday that he planned to designate antifa as a terrorist organization.

"These are acts of domestic terror," Trump said in a Rose Garden speech Monday, moments after heavily armed troops and riot police advanced without warning on the largely peaceful protesters across the street from the White House.

Barr, put in charge of organizing the police and military response, activated the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force last weekend to target protest organizers.

"The violence instigated and carried out by Antifa and other similar groups in connection with the rioting is domestic terrorism and will be treated accordingly," Barr said in a statement issued Sunday.

There is little evidence from federal law enforcement that antifa is behind the protests

There have been violent acts, including property destruction and theft. Police officers and protesters have been seriously injured and killed. But federal law enforcement officials have offered little evidence that antifa-aligned protesters could be behind a movement that has appeared nearly simultaneously in hundreds of cities and towns in all 50 states since Floyd's death.

The AP obtained copies of daily confidential "Intelligence Notes" distributed this past week to local enforcement by the Department of Homeland Security that repeat, without citing evidence, that "organized violent opportunists — including suspected anarchist extremists — could increasingly perpetrate nationwide targeting of law enforcement and critical infrastructure."

"We lack detailed reporting indicating the level of organization and planning by some violent opportunists and assess that most of the violence to date has been loosely organized on a level seen with previous widespread outbreaks of violence at lawful protests," the assessment for Monday says.

Demonstrators march near the White House on June 4, 2020. Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

The following day, the assessment noted "several uncorroborated reports of bricks being pre-staged at planned protest venues nationwide."

"Although we have been unable to verify the reporting through official channels, the staging of improvised weapons at planned events is a common tactic used by violent opportunists," the Tuesday assessment says.

But social media posts warning that stacks of bricks have been left at protest sites in Atlanta, Boston, and Los Angeles have been debunked by local officials who have explained that the masonry was out in the open before the protests or was for use in construction projects.

Nichols, the balloon artist, hardly fits the portrait of a radical.

He recently gained local notice for a giant balloon rabbit and other sculptures displayed in his front yard for Easter. He laughed when asked if he had any ties to antifa or other militant groups. A white man who lives less than a half-mile from where Floyd was killed on May 25, Nichols said he protested to support of his neighbors, many of whom are black.

"It was the most insane thing I've seen in my life," he said. "The city was going crazy."

Protesters stand in front of the 3rd precinct police building as it burns during a protest on May 28, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Scott Olson/Getty Images

Nichols said he and a friend helped douse a dumpster fire that near a laundromat. He remembers getting a text from his mother saying that Minneapolis had set an 8 p.m. curfew, but he thought it would be enforced loosely.

Ortiz and another friend in the car with him were put in zip-tie restraints and forced to wait on a bus for hours before police took them to jail, where he would spend the weekend.

Lars Ortiz, a 35-year-old classical musician, said he was driving just blocks from his Minneapolis home on May 29 after visiting a friend recovering from COVID-19 when officers pulled him out of his car at gunpoint. He said he had been unaware of the 8 p.m. curfew enacted that night.

"Had I known that being out after curfew would be such a severe penalty, I would have never done it," Nichols said, adding that he missed his son's high school graduation while he was in jail.

"It was scary. It was confusing. I felt violated," said Ortiz, a cellist who identifies as a biracial Mexican American.

Ortiz was held on a riot charge and curfew violation. He said he was told when he was released from jail on Monday the more serious rioting charge was dropped.

Bail funds are being flooded with donations following the mass arrests of protesters this past week. Sergio Flores/Getty Images

"In chaos like that you can't determine who is legit and who isn't," a Minnesota police officer said

Lt. Andy Knotz of the Anoka County Sheriff's Office, whose deputies were deployed from the suburban county north of Minneapolis into the city to help with the unrest, said it was a "chaotic scene" and that Ortiz was coming from the direction of the protests. Knotz said Ortiz was removed from his car by the Minnesota State Patrol, and an Anoka deputy took him to the police station.

"In chaos like that you can't determine who is legit and who isn't," Knotz said.

Natalie Cook, 43, who's white, said she had never before participated in a protest, but wanted to be there to support and protect her 24-year-old son, who's black.

"Not only did I want to go to be an ally to black people, but I wanted to go to support my son," Cook said. "Also, I was afraid to send him out by himself."

Cook said they were marching peacefully with about 100 protesters for hours when police started using tear gas and shooting rubber bullets. As they tried to get away, they were pepper sprayed and her son was hit at close range by a rubber bullet, she said. They were both jailed and released on Monday, charged with riot and violating curfew.

Cook said her son was deeply affected by Floyd's death and she doesn't have any regrets about going out to make their voices heard.

"My son was really struggling with it," she said. "We couldn't just sit by and watch."

AP filed public records requests seeking arrest reports and other documents that might show what evidence law enforcement officers have against Nichols, Ortiz the Cooks and others arrested in Minneapolis. Those records have not yet been provided.

Police officers wearing riot gear push back demonstrators outside of the White House on June 1, 2020. JOSE LUIS MAGANA/AFP via Getty Images

In Washington, the D.C. Metropolitan Police arrested at least 81 people last weekend, including some as young as 13. Most were charged with curfew violations and felony rioting, which could result in up to 180 days in jail and $5,000 in fines.

Among the highest profile arrests made by federal authorities in the last week was Matthew Lee Rupert. Prosecutors allege the 28-year-old Illinois man traveled to Minneapolis to participate in riots and then posted videos on a Facebook page showing him looting stores and handing out explosives.

In one video, Rupert, a convicted felon, says: "We come to riot, boy! This is what we came for!"

Though Rupert is alleged to have targeted police officers, there is no evidence cited in his indictment he is affiliated with any organized group. Among the few indicators of his political beliefs was a series of Facebook posts celebrating Trump's 2017 inauguration. "Trump is my president but I'm not racist," he wrote, adding that he loves Mexican food.

Rupert, who made an initial court appearance Friday, remains in federal custody. A federal public defender assigned to represent him did not respond to a voicemail message seeking comment.

A former FBI agent said people frequently cross state lines to protest

Michael German, a former FBI agent and fellow with the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University, said people often travel and cross state lines to participate in protests and that not all of them have peaceful intent. He said politicians and law enforcement often cite the presence of out-of-towners to justify greater police force against protesters.

"It's an old tactic for law enforcement policing protests to suggest that the problems are being caused by outside agitators," German said. "It opens up the opportunity for greater police violence in response."

Among those who traveled to Minneapolis to protest Floyd's killing was Tara Houska, a 36-year-old attorney and member of the Couchiching First Nation from northern Minnesota. An activist for indigenous rights, she was arrested in Minneapolis last Saturday night and charged with not complying with a peace officer.

Houska, who attended college and law school in the city, said she was with a group a couple blocks from where Floyd died when police told them they were breaking curfew. They replied they were going home, she said, and then the officers hit them with pepper spray and zip-tied their hands.

"Almost everyone that was in our holding tank with us was from Minnesota," Houska said.

Sierra West, 29, of Kansas City, Missouri, said she drove to Minneapolis with a friend because she is "so angry about what is happening" with police brutality and wanted to peacefully protest.

After marching for hours, West she broke away from the crowds and was walking back to her car through an alley alone when police arrested her early Saturday on riot and curfew violation charges. She said she did nothing to provoke the four officers who confronted her.

"They were hiding, and they literally jumped out of the shadows with guns drawn on me," she said. "The street was completely empty."

West, who is white and describes herself as a strong supporter of the Black Lives Movement, was freed from jail on Monday afternoon.

Police in Houston arrest a protester during demonstrations following the death of George Floyd. Sergio Flores/Getty Images

University of Minnesota Law School student Santana Boulton, 23, said a police officer pepper-sprayed her in the face on May 28 before she was tear-gassed two days later and then arrested on Sunday, charged with unlawful assembly and violating a curfew.

About 15 minutes before the 8 p.m. curfew, Boulton said she and her boyfriend joined a large crowd of marchers on Interstate 35. People linked arms and kneeled before two lines of police officers formed near the protesters. She said she never heard any orders to disperse.

"It was nothing like a riot. It was a sit-in," she said.

Boulton, a white woman who moved from Michigan to Minneapolis to attend law school, was arrested and spent 16 hours in custody. She described herself as "philosophically an anarchist," but "not a revolutionary."

"Antifa isn't even real," Boulton said. "As an actual person who identifies with the political label of anarchist, the only thing anarchists do is have meetings where they argue for five hours and get nothing done."

[bleed-for-privilege]

I am also an atheist and I understand how easy it is to blame religions for so many things, but at the end of the day, I think I owe it to those who are religious to respect their beliefs and not to disrespect what they genuinely believe is the truth. I can't tell you to stop being anti-islam, that would be unrealistic, but I can ask you to at least educate yourself on the religion before you decide to hate upon it based off what the media tells you, or based off of what it's abusers say (2)

1) Okay, so I first just want to thank you for being respectful, and not jumping to insults. It’s rare these days.

2) I’ve realized that I never really talk about Islam, and just kind of reblog stuff about it and make fun of it. But to be fair, I make fun of all religions.

3) May I ask what post it was exactly? I understand how it can be taken as “anti-Islam” so I just want to make it clear how I feel about Islam first. I DO NOT hate all Muslims. Those who actually follow it peacefully (moderates) deserve respect, and I will not hate nor judge them. However, this doesn’t mean I have to respect their religion and what is stands for.

5) “… we cannot blame an entire religion for the doings of those who use it to give a meaning to their actions.” 

No, but too many Muslims are using it the wrong way. This is a problem. Are the moderate Muslims speaking out against the ones who use the Qu’ran the “wrong” way?

6) You also said that they aren’t real Muslims and don’t understand the true meaning of Islam. But what is the true meaning of Islam? The Qu’ran is very violent, how are they supposed to follow the Qu’ran and still be peaceful?

Versus against non-Muslims:

Quran (3:56) - “As to those who reject faith, I will punish them with terrible agony in this world and in the Hereafter, nor will they have anyone to help.”

Quran (4:104) - “And be not weak hearted in pursuit of the enemy; if you suffer pain, then surely they (too) suffer pain as you suffer pain…”

Quran (8:12) - “I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them.”

Quran (9:123) - “O you who believe! fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and let them find in you hardness.”

Quran (17:16) - “And when We wish to destroy a town, We send Our commandment to the people of it who lead easy lives, but they transgress therein; thus the word proves true against it, so We destroy it with utter destruction.”

Quran (66:9) - “O Prophet! Strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be stern with them. Hell will be their home, a hapless journey’s end.”

Sahih Bukhari (11:626) - [Muhammad said:] “I decided to order a man to lead the prayer and then take a flame to burn all those, who had not left their houses for the prayer, burning them alive inside their homes.” 

(and plenty more)

Verses against homosexuality:

Quran (7:80-84) - “…For ye practice your lusts on men in preference to women: ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds…. And we rained down on them a shower (of brimstone)” (executed for your sexuality)

Quran (26:165-166) - “Of all the creatures in the world, will ye approach males, "And leave those whom Allah has created for you to be your mates? Nay, ye are a people transgressing” (apparently, Allah is offended by homosexuality, because he had intended for women to be used by men, not for men to be used by other men)

Quran (4:16) - “If two men among you are guilty of lewdness, punish them both. If they repent and amend, Leave them alone” (apparently, you have to repent from being a homosexual)

Quran (76:19) bluntly states, “And immortal boys will circulate among them, when you see them you will count them as scattered pearls.” Technically, the mere presence of boys doesn’t necessarily mean sex, however it is strongly implied from the particular emphasis on the effeminacy, handsomeness and “freshness” of the boys. The female virgins of paradise are also compared to pearls (56:23). (another contradictory)

Abu Dawud (4448) - “If a man who is not married is seized committing sodomy, he will be stoned to death.” (Note the implicit approval of sodomizing one’s wife. Just more homophobia, more sexism…)

Sahih Bukhari (72:774) - “The Prophet cursed effeminate men (those men who are in the similitude (assume the manners of women) and those women who assume the manners of men, and he said, ‘Turn them out of your houses.’ (intolerant gender roles)

(and plenty more)

“… Homosexuals are demonized, banned, beaten, probed, forced into marriage, flogged,  incarcerated, lashed, hanged, brutalized, stoned, thrown from roofs, tortured and shot.” 

(source)

Versus about (or should I say against?) Women’s Rights:

Quran (4:11) - (Inheritance) "The male shall have the equal of the portion of two females”

Quran (2:282) - (Court testimony) “And call to witness, from among your men, two witnesses. And if two men be not found then a man and two women.” (Muslim apologists offer creative explanations to explain why Allah felt that a man’s testimony in court should be valued twice as highly as a woman’s, but studies consistently show that women are actually less likely to tell lies than men, meaning that they make more reliable witnesses. Just plain misogyny, no justifying that)

Quran (2:228) - “and the men are a degree above them [women]”

Quran (5:6) - “And if ye are unclean, purify yourselves. And if ye are sick or on a journey, or one of you cometh from the closet, or ye have had contact with women, and ye find not water, then go to clean, high ground and rub your faces and your hands with some of it” (Men are to rub dirt on their hands, if there is no water to purify them, following casual contact with a woman, such as shaking hands).

Quran (2:223) - “Your wives are as a tilth unto you; so approach your tilth when or how ye will…” (A man has dominion over his wives’ bodies as he does his land).

Quran (4:3) - (Wife-to-husband ratio) “Marry women of your choice, Two or three or four” (Inequality by numbers).

Quran (4:24) and Quran (33:50) - A man is permitted to take women as sex slaves outside of marriage. Note that the verse distinguishes wives from captives (those whom they right hand possesses) (what a feminist religion).

Sahih Bukhari (6:301) - “[Muhammad] said, 'Is not the evidence of two women equal to the witness of one man?’ They replied in the affirmative. He said, 'This is the deficiency in her intelligence.’” (more misogyny)

Sahih Bukhari (6:301) - continued - “[Muhammad said] 'Isn’t it true that a woman can neither pray nor fast during her menses?’ The women replied in the affirmative. He said, 'This is the deficiency in her religion.’” (Allah has made women deficient in the practice of their religion as well, by giving them menstrual cycles).

Sahih Bukhari (2:28) & Sahih Bukhari (54:464) - Women comprise the majority of Hell’s occupants. This is important because the only women in heaven mentioned explicitly by Muhammad are the virgins who serve the sexual desires of men. (A weak Hadith, Kanz al-`ummal, 22:10, even suggests that 99% of women go to Hell).

Sahih Bukhari (62:81) - “The Prophet said: ”'The stipulations most entitled to be abided by are those with which you are given the right to enjoy the (women’s) private parts (i.e. the stipulations of the marriage contract).’“ In other words, the most important thing a woman brings to marriage is between her legs.

Sahih Bukhari (62:58) - A woman presents herself in marriage to Muhammad, but he does not find her attractive, so he "donates” her on the spot to another man.

(I can’t use them all, but there are so much more found here.)

If the Qu’ran is not meant to be taken literally, then how are we supposed to interpret it? (I know some verses pertain to war, but that’s hardly peaceful isn’t it?). I am also aware of the fact that there are tolerant, peaceful, and loving versus in the Qu’ran, but the aforementioned versus contradict these good versus, right?

7) “… before you decide to hate upon it based off what the media tells you, or based off of what it’s abusers say.” You’re right, no one should listen to what the media says, but I’ve listened to what actual Muslims had to say. 

Sarah Haider speaking about her experiences as a Muslim (Shia) woman, and why she left (video).

Main points she makes:

“Sharia Law tells you how inheritance with men and women is different. And it doesn’t really make sense why a daughter would get less inheritance as a son… it’s very clear that it’s not an egalitarian religion.” (2:51)

“… You have every right to believe [Islam], in the privacy of your own home. I have a problem when those beliefs start harming other people, when they start harming women, when they start harming children…” (3:47)

“… Because it is so difficult to leave [Islam], I think it is really important to have those support and community networks.” (4:10)

“Criticism of Islam can be construed to be ‘hate speech’ some people believe that. I don’t.” (4:33)

“I think anti-Muslim bigotry which is bigotry against Muslim as a people and criticism of Islam are two very different concepts. And it’s very important that we hold them apart as much as possible, so that our dialogue can be constructive.” (4:38)

8) Muhammad Syed another Ex-Muslim speaking about Islam (video).

Interviewer: “Is ISIS you think about the religion of Islam, or do you think ISIS is about something else? 

Muhammad: “Um, it’s a bit of both… but what they’re doing, the way they are governing, is very very Islamic. If you read early Islamic texts, that’s exactly the way the governments were formed, and they’d operate. Um, there are a few discrepancies here and there, but for the vast majority, it is following Islamic scripture.” (1:10 - 1:45)

He also mentions that the root of violence in Islam comes from the Old Testament where violence was normal. So that justifies it, right? No. They are still following the Qu’ran violently, whereas other religions just ignore it. Which is hypocritical, yes, but they aren’t harming people. 

9) I think since we’re both atheists, neither of us should pretend to know everything about Islam. We should listen to the ones who have actually experienced it.I also want to stress the fact that I don’t care what Muslims did in the past, I care about what they are doing now.

I also know that Sharia Law is different everywhere, there are different types of Islam, and some countries are worse than others, but I still find it funny how they are called the Religion of Peace, when they fought so many wars back then (and are still violent).

10) Once again, I have no issue with moderate Muslims. I have an issue with what their religion is causing other people to do. So when I make fun of Islam, I’m not really talking about the peaceful ones. I know they exist, and I respect them as people. I don’t (and never will) however, respect their religion and/or what it stands for. As an atheist, I will always be anti-religion. Not anti-human.