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homeboundmonsters · 11 months ago

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More Jumbled Thoughts on the Psychology of Inspector Javert

Building on the mention of Prison Mother and Law Father:

Javert exits his mother's womb into another symbolic womb: the prison, a place where transformation happens, where men are turned into beasts. Like a womb the prison entraps, monitors, maintains and sustains the life of its prisoner, but also can kill him. Because of her ethnicity and estrangement from society, Javert divorces himself from his biological mother and, in this way, the prison system holds the symbolic role of the mother in Javert's life. Because Javert is born without a father there is a symbolic void, an absence which he fills with The Law. In the philosophy of Carl Jung the Father archetype represents authority and responsibility; he is the protector and provider. Javert requires this figure to form a family triad, every child requires stability and that stability is found in parental figures- whether biological or otherwise. It is in prison where Javert adopts his affinity with observing: observing is safe, observing is a guilt-free activity because it is amoral: the observer does not partake in, and thus approve of, or disapprove of the activity he observes. In addition, observation is a passive activity. Prison and the Law teach Javert to be passive, because to be passive is to be safe from unwelcome observation, it is to be small and unseen. We see this in how Javert behaves at the barricade, like Valjean he turns into himself returning to the state of dissociation that gave him comfort in childhood.

By the time Javert leaves the womb he is already a man and so he is trapped in a sort of psychological infancy. He cannot develop beyond the idea of black and white right or wrong. He cannot move, like a man does, away from the overbearing and domineering psychological influence of his parents. He seeks to please them and when he feels he has failed he suffers mental and emotional distress and anguish. He prefers straightforward tasks, requires reassurance and praise, and seeks out the attention and approval of his parents in all things. He has been taught to be obedient and passive from birth and has not had the experience of a life outside of ‘the family’ with which he might compare his way of living. As he divorced his biological mother, Javert divorces his symbolic mother by abandoning the prison system and moving to the Law pure to work as a police officer. This is because, as a man, he seeks to identify with the masculine identity in himself as if represented by his Father. But also because the approval of his father is the ultimate form of safety because in reality, Javert’s Father figure is the Dark Father: he is critical, often cruel, emotionally distant, he is the father who consumes their own child. For what does the Law give Javert? Not social status, not family, not community, not love, not an appeasement of hunger or the safety of a good solid income.

Like the son who never flies the nest, he forms few to no other social or sexual relationships. How can he when all of his psychological and emotional energy is going into fulfilling his parents' perceived needs? This is part of the danger of Jean Valjean. He disrupts, he invites in Javert sentiments and psychological excitements which draw him away from his primary focus of satisfying his parents. He entices with an alternate way of life in which a man might live by his own values, independent and seeking only his own approval. And he introduces physical desire into Javert's life also, forcing him through a sort of psychological puberty from sexless child to confused and frustrated yearning adult. What emotions he should have had years to understand he is forced to process in short and destabilising bursts. He does not even have the language to express to himself what he desires, beyond the framework of service and pleasing a superior figure or destroying and harming the cause of the destabilisation.

Jean Valjean also entices because he is The Father. This can be seen in the development of his relationships: as a young man he is the father figure to his nieces and nephews, then he is Father Madeleine to M-Sur-M, then he is Cosette’s adopted father. Valjean represents what Javert has searched for since childhood, a figure to fill the symbolic void of the absent father. Unlike his cruel, judgemental Dark Father in the figure of The Law, Valjean is accepting, merciful, gentle, patient and forgiving. He offers praise, community, tenderness, but without the lack of any traditional masculine traits; he is strong, powerfully built, handsome, respectable, wise, intelligent, masterful, dominant, and holds social influence. To put it in a vulgar terminology: Javert has Daddy Issues. Valjean is the symbolic Father he has yearned for to treat the wounds of his agonised childhood. Now, this is not to say he wishes Valjean to be his father, that would be a naive interpretation. It is to say that he requires a figure to take that role in his emotional and psychological hierarchy. But it is also why he has such an internal conflict: to abandon the Law Father is to turn his back on a lifetime of programming, but worse: to accept that he is lovable and deserving of respect, mercy and tenderness without having to deprive himself and exhaust himself mentally and emotionally to earn those things. And worst of all, to face the belief that he has already proven through his acts that he is not worthy of this freely given love and approval that his potential Good Father offers him. The Dark Father is ingrained in Javert’s very psychology, even outside of his presence (as outside as he can ever be) he is ruled by the critical and cruel judgements and strict rules that his Dark Father has set for him. In a moment of agonised realisation, Javert comes to understand that he is worthy of Love and that he has made himself unworthy of it all at once: the perspectives of two warring Father symbols whose conflict ultimately tears apart Javert’s fragile psyche.

#les mis #valvert #javert #lesmis #les miserable #theorising #analysis #valvert week #I like this old man

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portlandrowismyhome · 2 years ago

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Borrowed Time: Chapter One

A little fanfic I got suckered into writing by @the-biscuit-agreement ‘s incredible prompt. Huge thanks to @lemonsharks and @oceanspray5 ‘s additional ideas.

This is that Lockwood and co serial killer prompt…

Tag list (or interest list for those who showed interest in the prompt. If you aren’t interested in the fic no worries): (also my Lockwood friends in general): @neewtmas @givemea-dam-break @thedonutdeliverygirl @ikeasupremacy @wellgoslowly @edmundlockwood @narnianweirdos @tangledinlove @so-true-jestie @oblivious-idiot @paysomeonetopaysomeone @peachesanddandelions @myownpainintheass @sadwinistic @almostlikequake @saelterlude @fandomscraziness22 @everythingwillend @uku-lelevillain @atlabeth @carlyleons @smol-being-of-light @losticaruss @superpositvecloudshipper @totally-not-an-npc @paranorahjones @malteevars-kee-devi @teaandtoastandthyme @jesslockwood @krash-and-co @lucy-j-carlyle

Please note this is a sideblog and all replies will come from @waitingforthesunrise

This takes place four months after The Hollow Boy: Lucy is an independent agent who starts investigating the wrong case, and Lockwood has always been living on borrowed time��

Warnings: mild language, general pain, angst, suggested injury, death, car accident, hint at torture, threats, hurt/very little comfort (yet). I’m so sorry, guys…

“Miss Carlyle.” Inspector Barnes sighed, flipping over the newspapers strewn across his desk. “Trust me. This is a case to let go.”

“What cases do we let go, Inspector?” Lucy leaned forward. “We’re agents. Getting to the bottoms of things is what we do.”

“And DEPRAC’s job is to make sure that’s the only thing you go to the bottom of,” Barnes said. “Miss Caryle, you have almost no evidence. You have no team. You certainly have no proof. There’s nothing here, and frankly this will only cause you danger I’m unable to help you with.”

“I didn’t ask for your help,” Lucy snapped. “You called me here.”

Barnes rubbed a hand across his jaw. Lucy stared stubbornly at his desk. They were sitting in his office; well-lit, clean, and smelling strongly of chemical cleaner. Lucy clenched her jaw, determined not to lose the silent battle. She was so tired — Barnes had called her and left no choice but to return to his office immediately after work. And now she was sitting here in front of his desk, wasting time…she could be eating breakfast, or in a warm shower…the hot water cascading over her tired shoulders….

But the water was shut off due to a leak at her apartment, and there would be now arm breakfast or inviting smells awaiting her. Only crusty dishes and a sulking skull.

It had been four months since Lucy had left Portland Row.

Barnes cleared his throat. “Let me make sure I understand. You first took the case from a Miss Helen Younge, correct?”

Lucy nodded. Miss Younge had been young no longer when they had met; the whispery, frail old lady worked at the take-out shop where Lucy often bought doughnuts. Miss Younge often showed Lucy pictures of her cats, but that had been the extent of their interactions until the day the old woman had seized Lucy’s wrist over the cash register and whispered, you’re an agent, aren’t you? Oh, I’m in such trouble…

Barnes studied a notebook. “She offered to pay you?”

“Of course. I am an independent agent. But it was more…”

“A favor?”

Lucy nodded. “She’s an old woman working at a bakeshop, Inspector. She could never pay for a Fittes or Rotwell team.” She didn’t bother to hide the bitterness in her voice; who knew how many nights Miss Younge and others like her had spent, anxious and afraid of things they were unable to see, knowing an inspection alone would cost them precious food?

If Barnes noticed it, he didn’t let on. “Surely you didn’t inspect the property at night?” He squinted at the paper. “An apartment building, nonetheless.”

“Of course not. I did it in daylight. But…” Lucy hesitated. “I thought it would be just a weak Type One, an old person’s death or something, but…”

“Yes?”

“There was a strange whispering.”

“Miss Carlyle, you are a Listener, and sources do have a habit —“

“I found the Source, sir. It was just a simple Type One and gave almost no trouble. But I don’t think it’s the only ghost there. There’s something else, maybe more than just one.”

Lucy paused, remembering the sticky brush of a spiderweb against her face, the quick rush of cool air, the sudden suspension of time.

“It says here,” Barnes said, “you ‘found yourself stuck in a time-loop.’ You have no idea when it could be from, or what it’s stemming from. You’re convinced it’s connected to the Type One, but that it’s not the cause.”

“Exactly.” Lucy eagerly leaned forward. “The voice, it kept saying the same thing, over and over—”

“— help me, I’m dying, he took care of you, so now you’ll kill me too,” Barnes finished in a bored tone. “Very concise for a ghost.”

Lucy brushed off his skepticism. “Of course there was more, that’s just what was clear — Inspector, this ghost was murdered. Maybe Miss Younge’s Type One, too.”

“Wouldn’t it have been a bit stronger, then?”

“Not if it was a miserable, elderly person living alone in an apartment complex with a cat and a bottle of pain pills. Those are a dime a dozen, Inspector. The person might not even know they were murdered. Not until it was too late.”

Barnes groaned. “You have the Source, don’t you.”

“Not on me,” said Lucy. She did. It was in her knapsack, securely sealed in iro; a small, initialed pocketknife.

“Miss Carlyle—”

Lucy hurriedly shuffled through her knapsack, and held out a stack of papers. “Look, Inspector, I found these in the library — it’s a murder case, I’m sure, I think this might lead to the victim, an unnamed body — the Source gets clearer every time I listen to it—”

“Miss Carlyle!” Barnes brought his hand down on the table. “I don’t have time for this. DEPRAC can’t keep you off the case, but consider this a warning. Whatever happens after this is on you. And —“

The door banged open. Lucy looked up to see an ashen-faced assistant gabbling into a hand-held receiver.

“Sir!” The assistant said. “Sir, it’s urgent…there’s been an accident outside, a body…”

Barnes jumped to his feet and hurried out the door, and Lucy, after hesitating for a moment, followed.

Clouds were gathering in the sky overhead; the air smelled like rain. A cool breeze tugged at Lucy’s hair as she hurried down the steps after Inspector Barnes and towards the knot of people gathered near the road.

“They said it was a green van,” the assistant said. “Just barreled through and drove off…”

Voices rose excitedly from the gawking group. “Came right out of nowhere, he did…just slammed into the poor thing…never had a chance….”

“DEPRAC Inspector!” Barnes roared. “Stand back!”

The crowd drew apart, and Lucy had a clear view of the blood streaked face staring empty-eyed at the sky.

It was Miss Younge.

There was a blur of ambulances and shouting and the passerby offering eager comments. Lucy couldn’t look away from the sightless eyes and crumpled cardigan of the old woman. Her head pounded; it couldn’t be real, couldn’t be happening. Miss Younge had given her a sandwich only that morning! The blood spattered across the pavement…

Barnes tried to steer her towards the steps, but she caught his sleeve.

“Miss Carlyle —“

“Inspector.” Her voice was ragged even in her own ears. “Don’t you see? Don’t you understand? This is proof! She must have been coming here to tell me something, she must have found something out! She was murdered, I —“

“Lucy,” Barnes said gently. “There’s been an accident. I understand you’re distraught. Go home, get some sleep.”

“Don’t you get it? This isn’t an accident, this is murder!”

Barnes glanced at the crowd, the assistant waiting nervously, the flashing lights of the screeching ambulance. “This was an accident, Miss Caryle. You’re conjecturing —“

“No!” Lucy stumbled back. “No, it wasn’t.”

An official approached, holding a clipboard. “Inspector, if you’d step this way…”

Barnes looks down at the paper, and when he looked up, Lucy Caryle was gone.

He swore under his breath.

Lucy paused in front of Miss Younge’s apartment building, breathless. She had run all the way from DEPRAC headquarters, rapier digging mercilessly into her hip, stopping only at her apartment to retrieve the skull. Lucy would rather have died on a bed of hot coals than admit it out loud, but she felt safer with it at her side. She bent over, gasping.

The skull groaned from inside her knapsack. “You know, I said that all that greasy food would slow you down. But did you listen? No, of course not. Why listen to your friends? Oh wait…” It cackled. “You only have one!”

“Shut up,” Lucy said abruptly. She was digging in her pockets for the key Miss Younge had given her. The key she had been going to return today….

But there was no time for that. She needed to focus, keep her mind clear. Find any clues before DEPRAC took over. She bounded up the stairs, skull complaining loudly in her ear. Hurry, hurry, hurry…

The door was unlocked.

Lucy tapped it hesitantly and it creaked slowly open.

“Put me down!” The skull complained. “I can’t see a thing!”

Lucy slid the jar out of the bag and set it in the corner. The room was dark and musty; a few half-empty bookshelves, a stained quilt covered the sagging bed…and that strange muttering whisper in her ear sending shivers up her skin…

Something warm and furry brushed against her leg and she almost jumped out of her skin.

“Skull! You could have warned me.”

“Oh, because that’s my job now? You haven’t even apologized for this morning, and you expect me to hand out my exceptional services for free? Besides, it’s only a cat.”

The orange cat meowed hesitantly, and Lucy bent down to brush its back.

“God, no,” the skull said. “Lucy…I see what you’re thinking, Lucy, and the answer is no!”

“We have to take it.” Lucy straightened up and began to examine the dusty bookshelves. “Miss Younge won’t be coming back.”

“It’s a cat. Cats live like the little demons they are. ARGH! It’s coming closer, Lucy, make it stop, it’s so ugly…”

A sharp riiiing cut through the skull’s moans. Lucy jumped, glancing at the phone. Just a call. Probably some elderly friend, looking for a chat. And she’d have to tell them…

She picked up the receiver. “Hello, I—“

“Hello, Lucy Carlyle.” The voice was smooth; slippery, sharp, and entirely unfamiliar. “I’ve been waiting a long time to meet you. Might I add how beautiful you look this morning?”

Lucy froze. “Who is this?”

“A businessman. Looking for a deal.”

Lucy shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. “I’m sorry, but this isn’t my number.”

“Oh, no. It’s your location. But why leave a message when I can reach you like this? I knew you’d come for the cat, anyway.”

The sounds of the skull arguing faded away. “What did you say?”

“Look, darling. You’ve had a good run. A good case. Why, if you go home now, you’ll even find a little payment on the doorstep.”

“A payment for what?”

“Dropping the case, of course.” The voice was like silk. “And never speaking about it to DEPRAC again. We wouldn’t want to bother our silly little head about it, would we?”

“I’m not dropping the case!”

“Oh?”

Lucy scrambled for time, a cold weight in the pit of her stomach. “So you know something? Miss Younge was murdered?”

“Oh, Miss Younge.” The man made a disgusted noise. “She was small and unimportant.”

“The Type One, then?”

“No, my dear. This is about Lockwood.”

Four months. Four months. And her world still reeled at the sound of his name.

Lucy swallowed. “What does Lockwood have to do with this?”

“What doesn’t he have to do with this is a better question. Everything about you traces back to him eventually, doesn’t it? But it’s simple: you bury the case or I bury the boy. After I’ve had some fun, of course…And come on, Lucy. We both know catching him wouldn’t be the hard part.”

“I—”

“You need to drop this while I still have the restraint for it. Think how hard it will be for me to stop after I’ve heard him beg like you have. The boy’s practically screaming for someone to end his misery already, and trust me — when I’m done, he will be. And I’m sure you saw that last case put him in the hospital for three days…No, our Locky’s been looking for death a long time…”

Lucy’s ears were ringing, her nose full of the heavy must of dust and cat. “I—“

“Good day, darling,” the voice said, and hung up.

Lucy clenched the receiver, staring at the faded wallpaper. Her knees were shaking. God, he was right. That hospital visit. A broken leg. She had scanned the papers every day for news of Lockwood, hoping she wouldn’t find a death announcement, hating herself for it every time…

The skull was making horrific faces at the cat, which was inching closer. The skull yelped as Lucy swept it into the bag and bundled the cat in her arms.

“What kind of treatment is this, huh? And we’re going home, I hope…”

“We’re going to find Lockwood,” Lucy said briefly. “Before it’s too late.”

Lucy didn’t bother with the bell or the iron line. She threw herself at the door, hammering at the wood, a horrific panic clutching her heart. The voice had seemed so sure, so certain. She had imagined her re-entry to Portland Row many times; in one particularly gratifying scenario, Lockwood had been on his knees begging her, the hugely successful businesswomen, to save his beloved house. And now it was her begging for entry…she kicked the thoughts aside and hit the door with her foot.

The door swung open unexpectedly and she fell into the dark hallway. George was staring at her, eyes round from behind his glasses, a rapier in his hand.

“Lucy?” He said blankly.

“George,” Lucy gasped, the cat leaping from her arms. She brushed her hair back with a sweaty palm. “Is Lockwood here? Hurry, please, I need to see him!!”

Holly appeared over George’s shoulder, wrapped in an elegant coat. “Oh, it’s Lucy! And she’s brought us a cat!”

“Please!” Lucy pushed past them towards the library. “Where is he? Lockwood!”

“Oh, Lucy,” Holly whispered.

Lucy paused, the quiet house settling over her like a heavy weight. For the first time she noticed George and Holly’s coats and hats, rapiers strapped to their waists.

“We were just going to find you,” said Holly.

Lucy swallowed. “I..”

George heaved a sigh. “Lucy, Lockwood’s been missing for two days.”

The world was spinning again.

Lucy felt a hand on her elbow, and Holly guided her into a chair. “Hurry, George, put on some tea, she’s probably frozen…oh, I’m so sorry…”

George made a disgruntled noise. “She still hasn’t said what she’s doing here.”

“I got a phone call,” Lucy said numbly. “About Lockwood. There’s this case — it was a warning, and I …Oh, my word.”

Holly set down a mug. “We were just going to look for you. We thought, maybe…”

“He wasn’t with me,” Lucy said.

They all jumped at the shrill ring of the phone. The sound sliced through Lucy with a cold recognition. She rose.

“I’m alright, Holly, really. I — I need to answer that call.”

“You don’t even work here!” George said, following her into the hall. “It’s not your job!”

“You never answered them even when it was your job,” she shot back. “And this one will be for me.”

The receiver was cool in her hands. She stared at the dark bookshelves, breathing in the familiar smell of Portland Row. “Hello?”

Silence.

Hope filled her. Maybe it was just a wrong number — a grocery order —

“Hello, darling,” the voice said, a soft chuckle hiding in it’s voice. “What a pleasure to hear your voice again.”

“Wish I could say the same for you.”

“My, my. Sass this early in the day? Did your little pals miss you?”

She gripped the receiver. “Where is he?”

“Where is he? But you’ve guessed that, haven’t you, Lucy Caryle? Best Listener in London. Head like that on your shoulders. You know where he is.”

“I swear if you’ve hurt him,” she whispered. “It will be the last thing you ever do, do you hear me? I swear—“

“Oh, Lucy,” the voice crooned. “If I hurt him? You should be begging me for a little mercy.” He sighed. “What would you have guessed? DEPRAC arrived at the apartment only five minutes after you and started a Source sweep with a double team. Your Mister Barnes trusted you a little more than you thought. But that’s besides the point…”

“I don’t know you have him,” Lucy said. Geroge’s worried face loomed in her vision, Holly right behind him, hands clasped under her chin. “You could be lying.”

“I could.” The voice hummed lightly. “How would you like me to prove it to you? His voice saying your name? A handkerchief?”

Her stomach clenched. “A recording. A piece of fabric. Could have gotten them anywhere.”

“True,” it mused. “What about a finger? You’ve stared at his hands enough; you’d know them anywhere, wouldn’t you?”

“I—“

“Or his ring? The one you thought you might wear on your finger one day.” It chuckled. “Still time for that. At his funeral, maybe —“

“Where is he,” Lucy spat into the phone. “Where is he, you stupid bastard!?”

“Now, now,” the voice tsked. “I’m not cruel. Why don’t I just put him on the phone? Be a good girl and listen to his demands, now.”

Lucy’s stomach dropped at the familiar voice over the phone.

“Luce,” Lockwood said warmly. “It’s been a while!”

“My word, Lockwood,” she said faintly. It was him, really him; his voice and his nickname for her… “What are you doing?”

“A spot of business. Quite nice, really.”

She could hear the rough edges in his voice now, the little gasps on the end of his sentences, like the air was whistling through his lungs.

“Lockwood,I—”

“It’s so good to hear your voice again, Luce; you have no idea. Wish you could have popped round for some tea the other day, though. George made your favorite.”

“Lockwood!”

His voice was weary when he spoke again. “Yes, Luce?”

She turned away from the others. “What’s going on, Lockwood? They couldn’t find you — I was so worried — where are you? Where do I need to go? I’ll come and I’ll —“

“Not to worry,” Lockwood said cheerfully, but it sounded forced, as though he was saying it through clenched teeth. “I’ve got it all handled, Luce. Everything’s under control. You’re not running yourself to the ground over me, are you, Luce? Get some rest and take care, you hear me? And stay at Portland Row as long as you like. Oh, and tell Holly that I broke one of her pink teacups the other day. She can order a new set. My apologies.”

Lucy’s gaze rose to meet Holly’s horrified eyes. “Lockwood!” She spat, trying desperately to keep the panic from her voice. “Tell me where you are, I swear — dear God, Lockwood, this isn’t a joke—”

“Isn’t it? That reminds me: I heard a particularly good one the other day, I made a note to tell you…” Lockwood hissed sharply. “Ah. Oh, that’s better.” There was a sliding sound. “Just needed to sit down.”

“You’re hurt, aren’t you?” Lucy knew she was babbling. “Lockwood, please, please—”

“It doesn’t matter. It’s okay, Luce.” Lockwood’s voice was perfectly calm, with only a slight tremor to remind her they weren’t sitting across from each other at the breakfast table. “I promise.”

“No!” She gasped for breath. “No, you swore you would never lie to me again, Lockwood — you swore—”

“Lucy!” Lockwood chuckled, but inhaled sharply as though it pained him. “I’m taking care of a brief issue. It’s business as usual.”

“No, Lockwood, it’s not! Just tell me, please, please—”

“I’ve spent my life feeling like a weapon,” Lockwood said quietly, his voice echoing over the phone. “Always living on borrowed time. I never could tell if the weapon was pointed at myself or at others. But I’ll make damn sure it isn’t pointed at you.”

A ragged sob caught in Lucy’s throat. It wasn’t real. She’d wake up tomorrow, in her own bed, and Lockwood would still be an annoying prick who lived nearby, and she would have a chance to fix everything. It couldn’t end like this.

And here she was, already acting as though it was the end.

“No,” she whispered into the phone, her voice growing louder. “No! NO. DAMN YOU, LOCKWOOD, YOU ANNOYING BASTARD — JUST TELL ME WHERE YOU ARE, YOU’RE NOT GOING TO DIE, I WON’T LET YOU, I—“

“Listen to me, Lucy,” Lockwood said, his voice suddenly urgent. She broke off, sobbing for breath. His voice was quick and direct, like they were on a case together. “Take the Source. Listen exactly to what it says, and then tell Barnes. Okay? And then take it to the furnaces and burn it. Understood? You’ll be alright. Everything’s under control.”

“No,I—”

“One last thing,” said Lockwood, his voice shaking just a little. “Luce, I needed to say…there’s not much time, but I lov—”

There was a sharp beep, and the line went dead.

~ To be continued ~

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partisan-by-default · 25 days ago

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An independent watchdog probe uncovered no evidence that federal agents were involved in inciting the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol, according to a report released Thursday, undercutting years of baseless claims spread by far-right political figures who have alleged the FBI played a significant role in the attack.

The long-awaited report by Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz found no evidence that FBI undercover employees were present among the thousands of Trump supporters who stormed the building, or even among the crowds of Trump's supporters who attended protests around Washington, D.C. that day.

While the report confirmed there were 26 informants in Washington, D.C., who were dubbed within the FBI as "confidential human sources" or CHSs, Horowitz uncovered no evidence suggesting that any were instructed to join the assault on the Capitol or otherwise encourage illegal activity by members of the pro-Trump mob.

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justinspoliticalcorner · 23 days ago

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Ron Filipkowski at MediasPlus:

MAGA Republicans and Donald Trump are seeking to rewrite the history of what we saw with our own eyes on J6, and the evidence that was presented in courtrooms in hundreds of criminal cases. This is a project they have been at virtually since the day it happened, but now they are weaponizing DOJ’s final report on the insurrection while legacy media and Democrats largely ignore them. Again. DOJ’s Inspector General report was released last week. The Biden Administration, AG Merrick Garland, and FBI Director Chris Wray all realized that this report auditing the response and involvement of federal and other law enforcement agencies had to be released before the incoming Trump Administration took office, since they would seek to either kill the report or seriously alter it to omit key facts and truths. Republican conspiracy theorists and propagandists have seized upon one small section of the report that addresses their long-standing contention, with no evidence to back it up, that the FBI inserted their agents into the crowd that day specifically to incite a riot in order to thwart the plans of representatives and Senators to challenge the results of the election on the floor during the joint session of Congress.

The IG reported stated a few simple relevant facts: 1. There were NO FBI Agents in the crowd that day. 2. There were 26 people who had served or were serving in some capacity as FBI informants in matters unrelated to J6 who were present in DC at a variety of events including the Trump rally, but none of them were instructed by the FBI to be there or do anything. 3. Some of these informants committed crimes that day. 4. The FBI had 4 informants in the crowd that later reported information to them, but only one was there specifically to monitor the situation while the others were there on their own initiative. 5. All 4 were specifically instructed not to go inside the police perimeter or the Capitol building but 3 of them did anyway. 6. None of those 4 actively participated in any violence and each was told specifically not to do anything or get involved in any way.

MAGA Republicans were quick to pounce on this as “proof” that their conspiracy theory was right all along - that the FBI instigated the insurrection to frame Trump supporters. They cited the testimony of FBI Director Christopher Wray, who was repeatedly asked at congressional hearings whether the FBI was involved in instigating J6. But Wray never lied - he testified that no FBI Agents were in the crowd. When asked about informants, he testified that it has been FBI policy never to comment on the use of non-testifying confidential informants in any pending matter. There was nothing that Wray ever testified to that was proven to be false in the IG report.

Republicans seeking to rewrite the history of J6 are conflating the use of informants with the use of agents. An agent is a sworn law enforcement officer who has a badge and works full-time for the FBI as their career. Informants typically either have pending charges that they are trying to mitigate or are being paid by the FBI based on the value of information they provide. They are private citizens who often operate as freelancers (essentially independent contractors) who are rarely under the direct daily supervision of an agent. They typically contact an agent when they have something to report that they have seen or heard, which sometimes initiates further investigation. It has been disheartening to watch legacy media and Democrats briefly cover or address the initial IG report, then move on as Republicans distort it and lie about it to reset the narrative. People like Ron Johnson in Senate hearings and Clay Higgins in the House have suggested that the FBI brought in hundreds of agents specifically to insert them into the crowd to incite a riot. Higgins claimed that 200 FBI agents were brought into DC in secret “ghost buses” to hide the operation from the public. There are dozens of other members of Congress who have advanced this narrative.

[...]

First, Democrats didn’t lie. The assertion is that Chris Wray lied. Chris Wray is a Republican appointed by Trump. Second, Wray didn’t lie. He told the truth that no agents were involved and explained that he cannot comment publicly on informants because the FBI never comments on informants for many very good reasons. Third, even if you believe he was deceptive in his responses, there is still zero evidence to suggest that anyone associated with the FBI planned to send people into the crowd to incite a riot, which is the main point of this entire exercise.

Legacy media has a responsibility not only to put out an accurate story about it when a report like this is published, but also to follow up and address disinformation and lies generated by the right-wing media echo system and elected officials. But they consistently drop the ball on this while they move to the next story. Democratic elected officials also have a responsibility to continue to push the truth and take the lies on forcefully. Since they don’t seem interested much in doing any of those things, we will continue to along with other smaller independent media outlets, a handful of politicians who care enough, some dedicated legacy media reporters, and a few TV commentators like Adam Kinzinger. We continue to tell the truth about what happened, over and over and over again, and we pay attention to each and every lie so we can be vigilant about rebutting right-wing propaganda.

Donald Trump and his MAGA cultists are on a mission to rewrite the events of January 6th, 2021 to make them the heroes of the story instead of the terrorists and villains that they rightly are. The recent Inspector General report debunks the “fedsurrection” nonsense spewed out by right-wing bad actors.

#Capitol Insurrection #Capitol Insurrection Truthers #US Department of Justice #Christopher Wray #Stephen A. Smith #Donald Trump #History Revisionism

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feminist-space · 6 months ago

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"Just weeks before the implosion of AllHere, an education technology company that had been showered with cash from venture capitalists and featured in glowing profiles by the business press, America’s second-largest school district was warned about problems with AllHere’s product.

As the eight-year-old startup rolled out Los Angeles Unified School District’s flashy new AI-driven chatbot — an animated sun named “Ed” that AllHere was hired to build for $6 million — a former company executive was sending emails to the district and others that Ed’s workings violated bedrock student data privacy principles.

Those emails were sent shortly before The 74 first reported last week that AllHere, with $12 million in investor capital, was in serious straits. A June 14 statement on the company’s website revealed a majority of its employees had been furloughed due to its “current financial position.” Company founder and CEO Joanna Smith-Griffin, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles district said, was no longer on the job.

Smith-Griffin and L.A. Superintendent Alberto Carvalho went on the road together this spring to unveil Ed at a series of high-profile ed tech conferences, with the schools chief dubbing it the nation’s first “personal assistant” for students and leaning hard into LAUSD’s place in the K-12 AI vanguard. He called Ed’s ability to know students “unprecedented in American public education” at the ASU+GSV conference in April.

Through an algorithm that analyzes troves of student information from multiple sources, the chatbot was designed to offer tailored responses to questions like “what grade does my child have in math?” The tool relies on vast amounts of students’ data, including their academic performance and special education accommodations, to function.

Meanwhile, Chris Whiteley, a former senior director of software engineering at AllHere who was laid off in April, had become a whistleblower. He told district officials, its independent inspector general’s office and state education officials that the tool processed student records in ways that likely ran afoul of L.A. Unified’s own data privacy rules and put sensitive information at risk of getting hacked. None of the agencies ever responded, Whiteley told The 74.

...

In order to provide individualized prompts on details like student attendance and demographics, the tool connects to several data sources, according to the contract, including Welligent, an online tool used to track students’ special education services. The document notes that Ed also interfaces with the Whole Child Integrated Data stored on Snowflake, a cloud storage company. Launched in 2019, the Whole Child platform serves as a central repository for LAUSD student data designed to streamline data analysis to help educators monitor students’ progress and personalize instruction.

Whiteley told officials the app included students’ personally identifiable information in all chatbot prompts, even in those where the data weren’t relevant. Prompts containing students’ personal information were also shared with other third-party companies unnecessarily, Whiteley alleges, and were processed on offshore servers. Seven out of eight Ed chatbot requests, he said, are sent to places like Japan, Sweden, the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Australia and Canada.

Taken together, he argued the company’s practices ran afoul of data minimization principles, a standard cybersecurity practice that maintains that apps should collect and process the least amount of personal information necessary to accomplish a specific task. Playing fast and loose with the data, he said, unnecessarily exposed students’ information to potential cyberattacks and data breaches and, in cases where the data were processed overseas, could subject it to foreign governments’ data access and surveillance rules.

Chatbot source code that Whiteley shared with The 74 outlines how prompts are processed on foreign servers by a Microsoft AI service that integrates with ChatGPT. The LAUSD chatbot is directed to serve as a “friendly, concise customer support agent” that replies “using simple language a third grader could understand.” When querying the simple prompt “Hello,” the chatbot provided the student’s grades, progress toward graduation and other personal information.

AllHere’s critical flaw, Whiteley said, is that senior executives “didn’t understand how to protect data.”

...

Earlier in the month, a second threat actor known as Satanic Cloud claimed it had access to tens of thousands of L.A. students’ sensitive information and had posted it for sale on Breach Forums for $1,000. In 2022, the district was victim to a massive ransomware attack that exposed reams of sensitive data, including thousands of students’ psychological evaluations, to the dark web.

With AllHere’s fate uncertain, Whiteley blasted the company’s leadership and protocols.

“Personally identifiable information should be considered acid in a company and you should only touch it if you have to because acid is dangerous,” he told The 74. “The errors that were made were so egregious around PII, you should not be in education if you don’t think PII is acid.”

Read the full article here:

https://www.the74million.org/article/whistleblower-l-a-schools-chatbot-misused-student-data-as-tech-co-crumbled/

#data breach #lausd #la school system #tech bro ai being reckless with personal data as usual #anti ai

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natlacentral · 10 months ago

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ONE NAME IS ALL KIAWENTIIO NEEDS

The mononymic Mohawk actress stars in the highly anticipated new adaptation of “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” one of Netflix’s most expensive series ever. It’s a role she’s been preparing for almost her entire life.

At first, it’s a ripple. Hovering drops rising from a puddle soon cluster into a faster-moving, levitating stream that swirls into an orb of water floating over a young woman. The focused motion of her hands control this aquatic flow. In the lore of the beloved animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender, the ability to manipulate the elements is known as “bending” and wielding this power is Katara, a fan-favorite of the franchise’s core characters. In this instance, she’s no longer animated, but rather living and breathing in Netflix’s recent adaptation of the cult show, as played by Kiawentiio, the 17-year-old actress and singer-songwriter from the Mohawk Nation at Akwesasne. For young Indigenous audiences, it’s a powerful moment seeing what was always an Indigenous-coded character, dynamic and independent, brought to life by an Indigenous actor. Her interpretation of the heroine is both true to its source material and grounded in an undeniable sense of Indigeneity, notable in the scenes of Katara’s survival of the violence inflicted upon her tribe and their later resistance to its recurrence. Free from the confines of Western film tropes or the expected relegation to secondary and background roles, Kiawentiio’s Katara is unprecedented. She’s both of this world and beyond. A sign of things to come.

There’s a balletic velocity to Kiawentiio when she arrives at her photo shoot, a certain sense of purpose and the pull of a trajectory toward something just off of the horizon. She’s traveling with her mother Barbara, who works in their community’s cultural restoration efforts, and her father Corey, a volunteer firefighter and building inspector for their tribe. They beam with pride as they watch her and recount the recent stops she’s had on the show’s busy press tour. In the dressing room, she smiles while reviewing pieces she requested from Indigenous designers Josh Tafoya and Karen Francis. It’s like witnessing someone coming into alignment, a new possibility realized. She says, “It feels like it’s not real, to be honest. Sometimes it feels like I’m living this fantasy life or living someone else’s life, especially with where I come from.”

The evening prior, Kiawentiio walked the red carpet for Avatar’s Los Angeles premiere in a stunning ensemble, also fashioned by Indigenous designers: an ice-blue duo chrome taffeta skirt by Evan Ducharme, accented by a hand-beaded corset from Tasha Marie, and jewelry by BYCHARI and Dean Davidson. The look, both in color and from the corset’s beaded wave design, is a subtle nod to Katara’s Southern Water Tribe in the show. Kiawentiio grew up watching the original series, which makes this all the more surreal. “For filming, we were in British Columbia for almost a year and stepping out of that was really kind of like a culture shock,” she explains.

It’s not lost on her that this is her moment, one that she’s balanced with both grace and aplomb, but also a time to reflect on all that’s led her to this point. From her beginnings as a guest star a mere five years ago on the Canadian series Anne With an E, to playing the title character in Tracey Deer’s debut feature Beans in 2020, and more recently appearing in Peacock’s Rutherford Falls and Marvel’s What If…?, Kiawentiio’s career has been nothing short of meteoric. In many ways it mirrors the creative boom of Indigenous-led and centered television in the last half-decade. That a young, Indigenous actor is now one of the leads in a $120 million Netflix production—one of its most expensive to date—that also happens to be an adaptation of what is considered to be one of the best animated series of all time, is as much of a cultural tipping point as it is an expectation rewriting itself. And Kiawentiio is at its precipice.

Over the phone, Kiawentiio discussed this moment and what it means to her.

How did you connect with the Indigenous designers you’ve chosen to work with recently?

One of the looks was Josh Tafoya, a fashion designer out of New Mexico. I actually got to meet him, I think it was two years ago now. He also works closely with 4Kinship, which is also a really cool Indigenous vintage brand. For the red carpet, I got to work with two Indigenous designers to custom-make this very beautiful gown. Tasha Marie Designs was the designer that beaded my corset and Evan Ducharme made my skirt, and they both just came together so beautifully. I love how it turned out, truly.

Does anyone in your family do beadwork? Is it something that you grew up around?

Yeah, my mom beads. She doesn’t sell any of her work, which she should. My sister also beads. I grew up beading here and there, but it was never something that I continued. I think out of all my creative outlets, it got the short end.

My mom does some beadwork too, so I know it’s super meticulous. How do you approach style outside of professional spaces, like the red carpet? What are you drawn to?

I feel like my style has been changing a little recently. I like really baggy pants. I haven’t really worn jeans in a while, but I wanted to up my whole closet recently. I’ve been wanting to get more color because I tend to lean on black a lot and earth tones in general. It also depends on what time of year, ’cause sometimes in the summer I like giving off that skateresque vibe.

I like a lot of men’s fashion too. I’ll have long shorts that are past my knees and huge T-shirts on and be like why do I look like a boy? Oh, I’m dressed like this. Doing a lot of this press and having this part of my life really lets me tap into my feminine side.

You grew up in Akwesasne?

Mm-hmm.

When you’re on set and you’re in front of the camera, how do you become this character that you grew up with?

It was honestly really crazy, like that first time we had that transition. Growing up, seeing this character all of the time and idolizing this character almost, and then to have that transformation and look in the mirror and see yourself as that person. It’s like whoa, whoa, whoa. But honestly, Katara and I have a lot of similarities in our personalities. And I feel like it’s kind of a double-edged sword in that it becomes easy to become them. But because there are some similarities, it’s hard to differentiate yourself from the character and keep those things separate.

Were you able to draw on or tie some of your own Mohawk roots? It was great talking to your parents too and hearing about the impact of their own work, your mom’s work in cultural restoration and your dad’s work with your tribe. I’m curious if any of that went into how you shaped this role, especially because Katara is a very Indigenous-coded character.

I think with my Mohawk roots and what my parents have done my whole life, I feel like it has shaped me as a person. With that, I can’t help but take that to every role that I play in the past and in the future, too. So, I feel like my Kanienʼkehá:ka roots will always be there with me in every character that I have the pleasure to portray. I haven’t said this before, but really, I truly do owe everything that I have to my mom and my dad.

What was some of your preparation for this role?

We binged the original show. I think I watched it twice and then went into specific scenes for Katara’s character and her mindset, and then also her bending. Every time we had a fight or we wanted to re-create something from the animated show, we were watching clips of Katara’s bending and that also was really helpful for me.

What’s it like being a young actor now in the age of TikTok and social media?

I think it’s a delicate balance. I feel like in this age, it’s really easy to get caught up in what people are saying, good or bad. Because it’s just so accessible. It’s really important to be able to protect yourself from that. With the show dropping, I will have to find ways to protect myself from the outside and what they are saying, even though I have this sense of wanting to look, wanting to know what the public thinks. That’s how I’ve been this whole time leading up to the show coming out. I want to be and I try to be an open-minded person. So, with what people are saying, I like to look at it just plainly, not trying to hurt my own feelings or anyone’s feelings. I like to have this information and [take] it as a learning type of thing.

With the show dropping and how massive the scale is, there is going to be so many opinions, so many thoughts. So, I feel like it’ll be OK if I just kind of let this one go for a while and revisit when I’m in a more stable place.

I think that’s healthy. On the flip side, for somebody coming up in your generation, specifically somebody Indigenous working in this industry, what’s it like to watch actors like Lily Gladstone or Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs lead the way?

It’s so beautiful. It’s beautiful to see all these amazing strong Indigenous actors. A lot of our stories have been trying to break through for a long time. To now be able to see it in multiple people that come to mind immediately with Reservation Dogs, Killers of the Flower Moon, and Echo, all of these things are so amazing to be able to see in the industry. It’s come so far even from when I was little.

I think one of the main reasons that I was drawn to Avatar: The Last Airbender growing up was being able to have a strong brown role model in Katara. She was one of not many. I think representation, even in that time, was so scarce and rare. So, to be able to carry the torch that’s been passed down for a long time now and be able to light multiple fires and lead the way for the generations coming is so important. I am truly blessed to be alongside all these incredible Indigenous actors leading the way.

Has there been a particular performance by another actor that’s had an effect on you like that? Somebody that you saw growing up, or are even watching right now that’s a model for your career?

The only person that I could think of is Zendaya. I grew up watching her on K.C. Undercover and Shake It Up, when she was just a kid star on Disney. Another thing that is so inspiring to me is her fashion sense. I love how she doesn’t always step out to all these different events. But when she does, everyone knows it and she’s making a statement. It’s just really inspiring to me, her fashion sense and her choices. Also, to have a single name that’s different from what you always hear is also something that we relate to and is inspiring to me.

What is it like having this be something of a new normal for a Native actor where you’re not necessarily just relegated to these roles in westerns? That’s something that people have been dreaming of. It seems like it’s a totally open future now too. What does that feel like?

It feels so surreal. Honestly, sometimes I get the sense of guilt. There are so many people that fight for the same spot. Sometimes, I have to remind myself how hard I’ve worked for things because it sometimes can feel like maybe someone else deserved this. You know that type of feeling?

But I’m lucky enough to have an amazing support group. To be able to be in this position that I’m in now is so incredible. Something that my dad always told me that we’re always where we’re supposed to be. I think that’s something if I had the chance to tell other Indigenous people, or just people in general, especially with actors and acting—you’re always where you’re supposed to be. If you didn’t get this job, it was for this reason. If you feel like you really wanted this thing but it didn’t end up happening, it was because this thing was waiting for you. And I feel like a lot of times, fate works in really funny ways. Of course, I was auditioning for so many things before Avatarhappened. I just can’t imagine if I had landed a different role and then wasn’t able to go out for this. So, it’s so funny how the universe works in crazy ways to make things align perfectly.

#natla #atla #netflix avatar #avatar the last airbender #netflix atla #avatar netflix #atla netflix #kiawentiio #interview #photoshoot #ssense

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experthiese · 6 months ago

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my first one is messy and honestly not the way I'd want it, so here's my shot at a public vs. private information post, version two.

"but pluto, where does my muse fall on this?"

I don't know! I don't write your muse! realistically speaking, even lupin's canon can't even seem to keep itself consistent with what's known and who by, so I'm not really all that fussed about how you choose to interpret this list. go with whatever feels right, and I'll play along accordingly.

so, let's get started!

PUBLIC.

He is the grandson of Arsène Lupin, phantom burglar of France.

He is the son of Lupin II, attempted founder of the Lupin Empire.

Like his predecessors, Lupin III is a master thief who targets valuable items from all across the world. He's a household name, and even has official merchandise (including the infamous plushie claw machines).

He's affiliated with what's informally known as the Lupin Gang: his 'inner circle' of friends. The current active members are Jigen Daisuke, Goemon Ishikawa XIII, and thieftress Fujiko Mine. She's more of an independent force, and is just as likely to betray Lupin and co. as she is to aid them. More members may be present, as dependent on verse and muse connections.

His eternal rival is Inspector Koichi Zenigata of the ICPO. Zenigata is the only person able to consistently get close to Lupin, and has managed to capture and detain him over one hundred times. The issue, of course, is that Lupin has been able to break out over a hundred times.

He's polyamorous and can often be found surrounded by short-term lovers whenever he's out spending his heist gains. He makes no attempt to hide this or deceive anyone: he's poly, not a cheater.

He's a polyglot, able to speak as fluently as a native regardless of where in the world he travels. Despite French and Japanese being his mother languages, he has no noticeable accent when speaking outside of them. Lupin also knows a select handful of dead and computer languages.

He's a master of disguise, able to forge documents as the need arrives and change his entire appearance at will. He can fake scars, injuries, identifying marks such as birthmarks or tattoos, and adopt the face, voice and mannerisms of anyone he pleases. His masks do have tells, however: such as not showing sweat after a period of exercise, while real skin would.

His chosen weapon is a Walther P-38, kept holstered against his chest.

There's a tongue-in-cheek saying that, for a Lupin, walls and gates and security systems simply do not exist. Many believe them able to get anywhere and everywhere, regardless of any preventative measures attempted. While this isn't entirely true, it is exceedingly difficult to keep Lupin out of somewhere, with even supposedly 'top security' buildings having been compromised more times than I care to count.

He was married to Rebecca Rossellini, Italian heiress, model, actress, and general celebrity.

He was the star of the Lupin Game online phenomenon, where he was tracked day and night by drone cameras, whose footage was live-streamed across the internet. People were encouraged to take photographs or video clips if they saw him.

SEMI-PUBLIC.

His calling cards lay out the rules of his heist. He will appear on the date and time listed, and he will leave empty-handed if he's unable to complete his theft before the end time listed on the card. The heist's no fun if there's no game involved.

Lupin doesn't kill unprovoked. That's one of the rules of his game. Taking another's life only becomes an option once they cross the line and endanger the lives of himself or his friends. Under all other circumstances, he'll always shoot to disarm first.

Not only does Lupin have copycat thieves aiming to impersonate his crimes, but this no-killing rule is one of the biggest copycat downfalls, often being the thing that gets them discovered. Thief he may be, but Lupin has a strict code of ethics that both he and Zenigata are very well acquainted with.

He has an IQ of 300, and can temporarily raise it to 301. He's incredibly intelligent, far more than he's often given credit for, but prefers to hide it behind a silly and easily underestimated persona.

His marriage to Rebecca wasn't his first, nor his last. However, the only real 'love match' was his attempt to settle down with Fujiko, while ultimately failed and lead to a separation. All other marriages are used as a means to an end, a way to get himself closer to whatever treasure he's aiming to steal.

He was the star of dark web phenomenon Happy Death Day, where people would bet on the date Lupin would die. This inevitably ended up attracting prominent assassins who would compete to kill Lupin on their predicted date, and after a particularly large confrontation, most of these competing players have been declared dead.

He's AMAB, just androgynous enough that many databases find it difficult to make a definitive decision one way or the other. As a result, this field is often left marked inconclusive.

He's bisexual, and appreciates pretty faces of all genders. His love for womanising and vocal adoration for his beloved Fujicakes just tend to overshadow the times he pursues everyone else.

SEMI-PRIVATE.

He stayed in France for the early years of his childhood and was raised within his grandfather's sprawling Paris estate. Arsène taught him the ways of Lupin family thievery from the moment he could stand, and he had already mastered several of its skills by the time he was able to write.

He attended the later years of elementary and early years of Junior high school in Tokyo, Japan. However, he left the system before graduating.

He targeted dark web drugs trafficking and money laundering giant Marco Polo in an online heist, draining their crypto wallet and making off with millions in BitMoney currency. He was also involved in the arrest of its three executives: Chuck Glay (Peekaboo), Kunal Robinson (Chap Tip) and Sonia Boutella (MooMoo).

He can pilot any vehicle, be it for land, sea or sky. It's safe to assume that he owns at least one mode of transport for each, and tends to favour cars, submarines and planes respectively.

He's been declared dead many times. One time 'Lupin' was even publicly hanged, though this was later revealed to be a clone. Lupin himself had no hand in the clone's creation.

He has chapodiphobia: a fear of octopi. This fear extends out to squid, cuttlefish and anything else under the cephalopod umbrella.

He's... somewhere under the nonbinary label. Most likely genderfluid, though he lacks the vocabulary to express this (nor does he have much desire to explore / pin himself down to any particular label).

His marriage with Fujiko ended poorly, and left a rift between them for some time. While she was the one to actually leave, a lot of their inner conflict was a result of Lupin and his discomfort at being truly transparent, even to her.

PRIVATE.

He has connections to the Grand Duchy of Cagliostro thanks to his efforts to save its ruler, Clarisse, from an unwanted marriage.

He's incapable of dreaming, lacking the subconscious needed to activate REM sleep. This void was once said to be the consciousness of an idiot or a god, though it's impossible to tell what one Lupin is.

The only marriage still standing is the one with Onabes, an art collector. He's the husband of Lupin's Miss Marie persona, making him Onabes' wife in the eyes of the law. Lupin has requested divorce several times, but Onabes is yet to sign the necessary papers.

He's got an occasional telepathic ability, though this link has only been shown between him and Fujiko, and it only seems to activate in times of life-or-death danger. Lupin's aware of this ability, and once called it the miracle of love.

He has safehouses in every conceivable corner of the globe. Some are luxurious mansions with grand estates attached. Others are rickety wooden shacks held together by hopes and dreams and prayers, with no running water and a single flickering lightbulb. All of them are owned under false names.

All gadgets are handmade, as are any smoke bombs or chemicals he uses. Lupin's a capable scientist when he wants to be, an often occupies himself by engineering new little toys to try out.

#▸ major headcanon #this will be updated as I think of more ദ്ദി ( ᵔ ᗜ ᵔ )

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psychedelic-charm · 8 days ago

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Games To Play Based On Your Myers-Briggs Type

Games are a fun and easy way to express yourself, especially when they match your personality type. Whether you're an introvert craving strategic world-building games or an extrovert missing the thrill of action, there's something out there for you.

But how do you know what sort of personality you have? For many people around the world, using your Myers-Briggs type is the solution. To help match you up with your perfect game, the Google Play Store has paired games up with the 16 different Myers-Briggs personality types to help you calibrate your gaming experience. Share your personality type in the tags!

INTJ - Architect

For imaginative, detail-oriented strategic thinkers who plan everything

SimCity BuildIt

Pocket City 2

Minecraft: Play With Friends

INTP - Logician

For analytical thinkers who love puzzles and mystery

Boxes: Lost Fragments

purple by Bart Bonte

Cube Escape Collection

ENTJ - Commander

For ambitious strategic leaders who thrive on a challenge and always find a way

Clash of Clans

Whiteout Survival

Lords Mobile: Last Rise of Qin

ENTP - Debater

For smart and curious thinkers who can't resist a challenge

Trivia Crack: Fun Quiz Games

TFT: Teamfight Tactics

Hearthstone

INFJ - Advocate

For inspiring and tireless idealists with a quiet and creative side

Lost in Play

Bird Alone

Old Man's Journey

INFP - Mediator

For poetic, kind and empathetic people who are curious about others

Song of Bloom

GRIS

Life is Strange

ENFJ - Protagonist

For charismatic and inspiring leaders tirelessly pursuing a positive cause

AFK Journey

Solo Leveling: Arise

MARVEL Future Fight

ENFP - Campaigner

For enthusiastic, creative, and sociable free spirits who always find a reason to smile

Design Home: House Makeover

Garden Joy: Design Game

Pokemon GO

ISTJ - Inspector

For practical, methodical, and fact-minded individuals whose reliability is never in doubt

June's Journey: Hidden Objects

Chess - Play and Learn

Balatro

ISFJ - Defender

For dedicated compassionate caretakers, always ready to defend their loved ones

Bloons TD 6

Plants vs. Zombies 2

Brawl Stars

ESTJ - Executive

For decisive and practical organizers who derive results through discipline

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang

Top Eleven Be a Soccer Manager

Free Fire: Winterlands

ESFJ - Consul

For social, supportive people who love nurturing relationships and prioritize their group cohesion

MONOPOLY GO!

Among Us

PK XD: Fun, friends & games

ISTP - Virtuoso

For bold, independant, adaptable, and practical experimenters with mastery of all kinds of tools

Roblox

Magic Tiles 3

Incredibox

ISFP - Adventurer

For flexible and charming artists, always ready to experience something new

Honkai: Star Rail

Wuthering Waves

Sky: Children of the Light

ESTP - Entrepreneur

For smart, energetic, and perceptive risk takers who excel under pressure

AdVenture Capitalist

Township

Subway Surfers

ESFP - Entertainer

For spontaneous, energetic, and enthusiastic performers - life is never boring around them

Heads Up!

Stumble Guys

Eggy Party

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beardedmrbean · 5 months ago

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A prison officer who was filmed having sex with an inmate has pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office.

Linda De Sousa Abreu, 30, was on duty at HMP Wandsworth in London when she entered the prisoner's cell and had sex with him on 27 June.

The encounter was filmed by another inmate and lasted for almost five minutes.

The mother, from Fulham, southwest London, was identified by HMP Wandsworth staff and arrested by the Metropolitan Police at Heathrow Airport after the footage went viral.

She was planning to fly to Madrid and telephoned the prison as she fled to the airport to say that she was not returning to work.

De Sousa Abreu pleaded guilty to one count of misconduct in a public office at a hearing at Isleworth Crown Court on Monday.

Abuse of position

The prosecution's case was that she had wilfully committed misconduct in a public office by abusing her position as a prison officer to have sex with an inmate.

De Sousa Abreu, who holds a Portuguese passport, was granted conditional bail and will next appear at Isleworth Crown Court on 7 November.

While Crooks’ motive continues to be a mystery, new details continue to emerge about the gunman’s actions.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul told CBS’ Face the Nation on Sunday that Crooks was plotting a “diversion by blowing up his vehicle on the other side of the property, and then he could escape”.

He claimed that the gunman had a detonation device on his body and two bombs in his vehicle.

It also emrgd that, at around 3.50pm that day, Crooks had flown a drone for 11 minutes over a path about 200 yards from the podium where Trump would stand.

This was 36 minutes before law enforcement officers even became aware if his whereabouts.

The Independent is the world’s most free-thinking news brand, providing global news, commentary and analysis for the independently-minded. We have grown a huge, global readership of independently minded individuals, who value our trusted voice and commitment to positive change. Our mission, making change happen, has never been as important as it is today.

Tetteh Turkson, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "This was a shocking breach of the public's trust. De Sousa was clearly an enthusiastic participant who wrongly thought she would avoid responsibility.

"The CPS recognises there is no excuse for any prison officer who conducts themselves in such a manner, and we will never hesitate to prosecute those who abuse their position of power.

"After working closely with the Metropolitan Police to build the strongest possible case, De Sousa had no option but accept she was guilty. She will now rightly face the consequences of her actions."

Deep concerns over HMP Wandsworth

The video of De Sousa Abreu emerged weeks after a watchdog said HMP Wandsworth should be put into emergency measures after an inspection raised concerns over ongoing failings in security following the alleged escape of Daniel Khalife in September last year.

The "deeply concerning inspection" also found severe overcrowding, vermin, drugs, violence and rising self-harm, where seven prisoners had taken their own lives in the past year.

In response, the chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor wrote to the justice secretary Alex Chalk to issue an urgent notification for improvement.

Khalife, 22, is due to go on trial at the Old Bailey in October.

He has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.

#nunyas news

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mariacallous · 11 months ago

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Alexey Navalny’s mother was shown a medical report about his death, which said that he “died from natural causes,” reports Navalny’s press secretary Kira Yarmysh.

Speaking to independent outlet Agenstvo, Yarmysh said that an autopsy had been performed and that there was “a medical certificate with the cause.” She added that the investigators want “to handle it themselves, want the burial to be done in secret, in a remote location, without a public farewell.”

Navalny’s mother Lyudmila recorded a video, in which she said that investigators showed her Navalny’s body. She added that investigators are demanding that Navalny be buried in secret and are threatening to “do something” with his body if she refuses.

The investigators claim to know the cause of death. They have all the medical and legal documents ready, which I saw, and I signed the death certificate. By law, they were supposed to hand over Alexey’s body to me immediately, but they haven’t done so yet. Instead, they are blackmailing me and imposing conditions on where, when, and how Alexey should be buried.

Alexey Navalny’s mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya, says that investigators have shown her the body of her son.

According to her, investigators are demanding that Navalny be buried in secret and are threatening to “do something” with his body if she refuses.

Inspector Voropaev told me openly: ‘Time is not on your side, the corpse is decomposing.’ I don’t want any special treatment, I just want everything to be done according to the law. I demand that my son’s body be handed over to me immediately.

Navalny’s mother said she spent 24 hours in the Salekhard Investigative Committee’s building with investigators and criminologists, but noted that lawyers were only allowed in later.

Navalny’s press secretary, Kira Yarmysh, wrote that the medical examiner’s report, which was shown to Navalny’s mother, says that he “died of natural causes.”

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gus-romo · 1 year ago

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Gus Romo - MBA From the University of Redlands

Gus Romo founded the Romo Planning Group, Inc., also known as RPG, in 2001. The company brings independent contractors together along with a group of employees to assist public agencies with civic staffing needs, including planners, building inspectors, environmental professionals, and administrative assistants to provide interim solutions as well as project managers for complex assignments.

#gus romo #rancho cucamonga #MBA From the University of Redlands #Romo Planning Group #Rancho Cucamonga

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archinform · 2 years ago

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Van Buren Street Station, Chicago

1896, Francis T. Bacon, Supervising Architect of the Illinois Central Railroad system

John F. Wallace, Chief Engineer

J.L. Fulton Company, General Contractors

Van Buren Street Station, platform level view

The Van Buren Street Station, 132 E. Van Buren at Michigan Avenue, is a commuter rail station in downtown Chicago serving the southbound Metra Electric Line, as well as the South Shore Line to Gary and South Bend, Indana.. It is the oldest active station building on the Metra Electric line. The station is located in Grant Park to the east of Michigan Avenue at Van Buren Street.

One of the station's entrances is a replica of an Hector Guimard-designed, Art Nouveau-style Paris Métro entrance. The entrance was given to Chicago as a gift by the city of Paris in 2001. The Guimard entrance will be relocated as part of a station renovation to be completed by 2027.

The station was originally constructed by the Illinois Central Railroad (incorporated 1836; operated independently until 1972), and completed in 1896.

Vintage view of the station, with buildings of Michigan Avenue behind.

"Lake Front Improvement No. 98. Van Buren St. Station and Viaduct. Looking N. from E. end Harrison St. viaduct."

The Van Buren Station is the first Metra stop south of the Millenium Station, the northern terminus of the South Shore Line.

The station is completely invisible from the street, constructed below grade, one level below Grant Park. From Michigan Avenue, passengers descend stairs to a long, featureless tunnel about a block long, which splits into up and down ramps that easily confuse the visitor, and are inadequately labeled for the ticket office and main level, or down toward Platform 2 access.

I saw the Van Buren Street Station for the first time when I took a train to Hyde Park, and decided not to depart from Millenium Station, which can be a confusing space to navigate. Nothing prepared me for this underground slice of history, and its largely intact tile and terra cotta waiting areas.

The station is below the level of the park, only its roof surrounded by a balustrade visible from above. The pedestrian viaduct over its center leads to the eastern side of Grant Park and the Lincoln statue. Entrances are from the sidewalk on the west side of Michigan Avenue, and from the Guimard Paris metro and stairs at "Van Buren Entrance" in the screencap above.

The station's placement is illustrated in the above plan, in The Inland Architect and News Record, Vol. XXIX No. 1, February 1897, Special Supplement p. 2.

The station's plan (above) and section (below) were also reproduced in the 1897 Inland Architect.

"Francis T. Bacon was the supervising architect of the Illinois Central Railroad system from the mid-1890s until 1907. Bacon died in Chicago on June 18, 1909, at the age of 43, after having been in private practice for two years." - Wikipedia entry

The Engineering Record, Building Record and Sanitary Engineer, Volume 60, 1909, cited in the wikipedia entry, doesn't reveal any further details of his life.

In this section, the station wall is heavily buttressed on the left, under the ground of Grant Park. A balustrade surrounds the ground-level roof, and the train platform is at right.

A glowing contemporary description of the station from The Inland Architect details the Waiting rooms' features and construction materials:

After passing the ticket inspectors, those taking express trains turn to the right and those for local trains to the left, in the central distributing corridor. From this corridor the passengers are ushered into two magnificent waiting rooms, each 34 feet by 106 feet and 9 ½ feet high. These rooms, for beauty, substantiality and completeness of appointments and conveniences, will compare favorably with those of any railway station in the world, even though naturally restricted in height of ceiling. The floors of the wating and toilet rooms, also corridor, are all paved with English floor tile; the foyer, vestibule and south entrance are paved with ceramic mosaic, and the bas throughout is of polished Tennessee marble. The walls are faced with Maw’s écru glazed tile, 3 by 6 inches, patented lock back, and the ceilings are of cast plates of stucco, forming a design of Gothic tracery. The cornices and girders and also finished in stucco, the point of junction with the glazed tile walls being covered with a mahogany molding. There are two rows of cast-iron columns in each room, which are incased in écru glazed terra cotta, elaborately molded and ornamented.

The windows of the ticket offices are covered with elaborate, handmade, wrought-iron grilles, some of which are polished and electroplated with bronze.

Source: The Inland Architect and News Record, Vol. XXIX No. 1, February 1897, Special Supplement p. 2

The station originally featured, apart from two waiting rooms, smoking rooms, a ladies' retiring room and lavatory, and a matron's room at the south end of the building.

The men's lavatory, bootblacking stand, toilet and janitor rooms are at the north end. There are also private lavatories for the attendants and locker rooms for the railroad employees. All these are under the space of 14 feet wide and 300 feet along the park side, and already occupied by the entrances, and are lighted through ceilings of cast iron and glass.

Source: The Inland Architect and News Record, Vol. XXIX No. 1, February 1897, Special Supplement p. 2

The tiles on the walls were manufactured by Maw & Co., of Shropshire, England, and are supplied and set by their agents, Hawes & Dodd, of this city, and are chiefly remarkable for their evenness of color, highly finished glaze, and freedom from the technical fault known as "Crazing."

Source: The Inland Architect and News Record, Vol. XXIX No. 1, February 1897, Special Supplement p. 2

The Inland Architect article also noted the building's fireproof construction, including terra-cotta-clad iron columns, and that the entire interior was washable.

Not all of the station's original features remain. The cast-plaster ornamental ceiling is long gone, as are some of the more elaborate decorative elements, such as scrolled wall brackets and an ornamental drinking fountain shown in a period photo below.

No trace remains of the original marble and bronze recessed drinking fountains or decorative brackets above.

The column bases and bright inlaid flooring, in need of some restoration, are still in place.

The tilework remains intact, but the original ornamental ceiling has been replaced, as well as some other decorative elements.

Original mahogany waiting-room furniture includes this curved corner bench. The benches have brass feet, to facilitate cleaning the floors.

Detail of ornamental floor tile work at the edge of one waiting room

The ticket windows are located in the entrance vestibule leading to the twin waiting rooms.

Van Buren Street Station in 1907; exit stairs from middle platform to the Van Buren viaduct

"The east front of the building, 300 feet in length, shows a wall of one story, faced with cut Bedford stone - pierced with windows and doors." (Inland Architect)

The original awning over the platform was replaced, and is in a state of disrepair.

The recessed central area of the platform is directly underneath the Van Buren viaduct above.

The exterior still features carved stone decorations.

Detail of one of the carved stone elements.

"...even the copper down-spouts and their open heads are veritable works of art." ( Inland Architect)

At the far north end of the second platform, stairs allow passengers to exit to the Jackson Blvd. overpass, just south of the Art Institute.

Other Illinois stations designed by Francis T. Bacon:

Left:

Illinois Central (IC) Railroad Station, Springfield, Illinois; Springfield Union Station, 500 E. Madison St., 1896-98; 1901 view, The Inland Architect

Right:

Illinois Central (IC) Railroad Station, Decatur, Illinois, c. 1890s; View 1901, The Inland Architect

The center or second platform gives access to northbound trains. It's reached by stairs or elevator below the main station.

Click here for a PDF version of The Inland Architect v 29 no 1 of Feb. 1897 article on the Van Buren Station.

Links:

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