#Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society

[oldschoolfrp]

Out to the black (William H Keith Jr cover for The Best of the Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society Vol 3, 1982)

[targaryenluvs]

— ALL MINE

pairing - prowler!miles morales x reader, miles morales x reader

summary - whilst on the run, your boyfriend miles and yourself were taken home. although your hometown is not as it seems. with a shadow clinging to your every move, will you make it out of this universe? part two - not yours

warnings - possessive!prowler miles, he’s like low key delulu, swearing, violence.

notes - i am absolutely in love with prowler miles. THE BRAIDS HAVE A CHOKEHOLD ON ME. sorry if this seems to resemble other fics but i just wanted to do my lil version since all the others are half way done :P and i’m writing again since i’m in the holidays :) also idk if miles can make people invisible but for the sake of this text yes he can. also big fancy words idk if i used em correctly. comment for p2!!!! also pushing the 42miles calling his girl ma agenda 😘

wordcount: 2.1K

you had to catch your breath.

you’d never been the most athletic person in p.e and it certainly wasn’t going to change then and it certainly won’t now. but as miles eggs you on to keep moving you ignore all the un-athletic bones in your body and push yourself to keep running.

as you reach your destination miles grabs your hand and the two of you creep your way inside. miles begins to mess around with computers as margo tried her hardest with the help of lyla to figure out what on earth was going on.

as miles scanned his eyes he pulled you into his arms, “you okay?” he asked as you nodded, “for now, as long as miguel-”

and to your luck he barrelled through the doors at the exact moment you uttered his name. “bloody mary much?” you muttered under your breath as you took a step back.

and as he clawed and fought his way in your hand tightened its grip on miles’s. “it’s okay, he’s not getting in y/n/n. it’s okay.” and as he reassured you to the best of his abilities you couldn’t help but feel grateful. he always put you first, no matter what.

always made sure you and his family were okay.

and his reassurance managed to calm you down as margo looked up at the two of you, her finger hovering over the reboot button but as she looked between the miles and you, she couldn’t help but aid the two of you. as miles pulled his mask over his face, you saw the pure rage painted over miguel’s face and you couldn’t help your indignation towards the man.

but you didn’t see him for long as the pair of you were sucked out of the room and travelling at the speed of light (or so it seemed) to freedom.

the lights were harsh on your eyes.

as you adjusted to the luminosity of the neon signs you looked to your right to see miles on the floor.

“miles? miles!” you rushed over and rolled his body over as he coughed, “i’m okay, i’m okay. how about you?” you smiled, “i’m fine babe. we made it, we made it home miles.” you cried as you engulfed him in a hug.

he smiled as he reciprocated, “thanks to you y/n. but we needa get goin okay?” you nodded as you stood and helped him up by his arms.

“hold on tight.”

you’d honestly forgotten how nice the cold air felt on your face. the thrill of swinging through the city, passing people by as they stared in wonder, slinging by and grabbing a few treats on the way, yours and miles’s normal routine almost everyday in the past six months. you never knew you could miss a place so much.

but being with the spider society and being at the HQ managed to make you deeply homesick.

as you neared miles’s home you felt a weight being lifted off of your chest.

you were almost there.

you had gotten home in time.

you’d save mr morales, be allowed to call him jeff and his wife rio, miles would have his father, he’d continue being spider-man, the two of you would move to new jersey (fingers crossed), miles would study something new (seeing as the two of you have had your fill of other universes in the past few days), you’d study journalism, you’d get your own place, travel, live and love.

together.

as you got to his rooms window you held on to the ledge as miles opened the window and carefully guided you in. you’d never expected to feel so elated at seeing his single bed, his action figures and posters, everything. but as you entered, the waves of fatigue messed with your head to the point where you managed to overlook the contents of his room.

you were so exhausted you didn’t even manage to make it to the bed and relaxed in-front of it in the corner. as you looked around you couldn’t help but frown. it looked, different.

some things were missing such as all the posters and figurines. you chalked it up to mrs morales packing them away perhaps, or miles moving them to his own place.

as you slowly drifted off you missed the creak of the door opening.

rio walked through the door with her laundry basket clung to her hip.

miles turned around quickly, relieved to see his mother. “ah mom, you don’t know how happy i am to see you.” rio furrowed her eyebrows as her son ran over to smother her in a tight hug. it’d been so long since he’d acted so.

and was his hair out?

he seemed shorter too.

what on earth has this boy been up to?

as he rambled on explaining himself she couldn’t help but smile. he seemed so, innocent. before everything, before the pain, before the loss, before it all happened, before he changed, permanently, before her.

“miles, i think it’s cute your into uh what’s it called cosplay? you one of them comics-con kids?”

“what’s that? i- no, this isn’t cosplay ma.”

as she walks into another room miles stands frozen as his uncle aaron walks into the home. albeit a different version of his uncle aaron but it doesn’t change the way miles’s hands are sweating, his heart threatening to implode.

as aaron rested a pile of cash on the table miles stared in awe. “you ready to go miles? damn you took your braids out? what’s going on man?” he joked as he walked to the door his hand gesturing miles to follow along. “yeah lemme just grab something and i’ll be there.”

miles shook you awake and asked you to follow along but not too closely.

you were perplexed as to why but followed along nonetheless. as you made it to the door you saw aaron in-front of miles. and suddenly something came at miles, knocking him out.

you ran to him, “miles! shit, are you okay?” you felt your chest tighten as he didn’t respond, his finger tips twitched yet he was unresponsive. “fuck what the hell did you do aaron?”

aaron couldn’t believe his eyes.

how- what?

you were there. sitting, cradling miles’s body in your arms as you stared up at him.

alive.

“y/n?”

it was a whisper. but you caught it. “no i’m the fuckin sun. yes it’s y/n.” you said as you continued to inspect miles, looking for any signs of injury.

“you want her too?”

your head snapped up as you heard aaron speak again, he was looking behind you and you honestly didn’t have the energy to see someone else right now but as you looked back you wished this was a bad dream.

the prowler.

he stood tall, not as tall as aaron but at least a few inches more so than miles. his suit was a little different, his claws sharper and his mask. he nodded towards aaron, yes.

it was as frightening as aaron’s. aaron. if he was right infront of you you then who the hell was thi-

your head was throbbing so much, but you were currently being tended to. or, you thought you were. someone was lightly dabbing a wet cloth on your forehead, your head was supported by something, it was nice.

when you built the strength to open your eyes you saw miles. “arriba mi vida.” you squinted. “what?” you saw a slight smile on his face, “try to get up.” miles wrapped his hand around your neck, cradling it as you attempted to get up.

you rested against the cold wall as you took in the environment around you. “where are we?” you asked miles as you tried focusing your eyes, you swore you saw the outline of someone tied to a, was that a boxing bag? the light from the window behind them illuminated their outline, their face left unknown.

“shh, está bien y/n.”

“miles you know i cant speak spanish that well.”

“i’m sorry, i forgot. you feelin’ okay ma?”

as you were about to respond the body tied to the bag started to move and mumble, causing you to actually realise that someone was tied up. your eyes were adjusted now and as you looked around and settled on miles’s face you couldn’t help but frown.

“since when do you wear braids miles? and do you honestly think this is the right time to try out a new hair style?” you questioned as he got up, “you don’t like my braids? you use to do em all the time ma.”

your eyebrows furrowed as the body finally came into focus, and you saw-

miles?

you slowly rose from your spot on the floor and looked back and forth from both miles’s. the one in front of you had a certain way to him. his shoulders straightened, taller than usual, hardened face, he seemed so, formal.

whilst your miles was a sloucher most times, not short but he didn’t tower over everyone, usually with a smile donning his face and always easy going.

“i- you.” the words scrambled out and you had no idea what was going on. all you knew was that you needed to get out of here. as you walked towards what you had assumed to be your miles, other miles grabbed your hand and yanked you back.

“whatchu doing?”

“i was seeing my miles. what are you doing? why did you tie him up?”

“can’t exactly have someone running around my streets with my face now can i?”

“okay, i understand that miles but you need to let me go. we need to get back to our universe otherwise mr morales is gonna- and we can’t let that happen you know that. untie him. please.”

“why would i do that shit? what’s so special about him? why does he get to have everything so good? his school, his friends, his family- you.” other miles was getting a little too close for your liking and you found yourself backed up against the wall. not a great position to be in when completely helpless and tired as hell against someone who could probably throw you across the room.

his hand came to your face as he pushed away a stray strand of hair from your eyes. “i- did we- did you date someone like me?”

“not someone like you ma, i dated you.”

“no you dated another version of me. that’s not me, that’s her, wherever she is i’m sure she missed you and if you picked up the phone and called-”

“she’s dead.”

your eyes widened, “i- i’m sorry for you. and for her. i’m sure you loved her a lot but, i’m not her. you’re not my miles, my miles is right there. and i love him. please you have to let us- me go. y/n wouldn’t have wanted this for you i’m sure of it.”

“you gonna tell me she wanted me to be happy?”

“uh i’d assume she wanted that for you. i’m sure you guys were amazing together miles.” you smiled as you tried to suppress your fear. it was hard to, you could feel it slowly creeping in, the miles in front of you was hypnotising, his eyes were warm so warm you could feel them burning into yours. he was absolutely gorgeous, the soft glow from the night life outside highlighting his face. he was so gorgeous it was insane as well as scary. he took your breath away, the same way your miles did.

“we were, and we will be again.”

“i’m not so sure you can bring people back from the dead. i understand you miss her but you need to let her go and move on. speaking of moving on miles and i should be moving on back to our universe so if you would so kindly-”

“i got her right here ma.”

his grip on your hand tightened as he somehow got closer. all the air had apparently hopped out of the room since you felt your chest tighten.

“no me dejarás de nuevo mi vida. your staying with me, here.”

“You won’t leave me again my life.”

“stop it, i understand you’re hurting but please just-” you tried with all your strength to push him away but his feet were planted firmly into the floor, as still as a statue and you couldn’t help but cry.

you’d escaped one place to be potentially imprisoned in another.

“shh, shh y/n/n. i got you right here.” he held you as you sobbed, praying your miles would wake up soon and save the two of you.

as miles held onto you he couldn’t help but feel his tensions and sorrow seep into the floor as he held you again after all this time and as he did he couldn’t help but whisper,

“you’re mine mi amor,

all mine.”

[astrojulia]

Tarot Cards as Professions

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Major Arcanas:

The Fool: Work with abroad, connections with imports, language teacher, multinationals, entrepreneur, intern, college student, art major.

The Magician: Entrepreneur, job that needs skill with the hands (acupuncture, hairdresser, artisan), actor, salesperson, influencer.

The High Priestess: Education, especially children, nutrition, psychology, cook, housewife, food engineering, toy factory, fortuneteller, spiritual advisor, librarian.

The Empress: Management, business administration, foreign trade, secretariat, translation, decoration, stay-at-home mom, model, cook, farmer.

The Emperor: Business administration, work related to areas of technological innovation, the military or sportsmen, CEO, tycoon.

The Hierophant: Philanthropic areas, ONGs, religious work, social work, diplomacy, and a degree, journalism, writer, editor, priest, spiritual guru, politician.

The Lovers: Sales area in any sector, tourism, theater, advertising, the arts in general, porn star, stripper, masseuse.

The Chariot: Activities related to transport, cars, the latest technology, chauffeur, mechanic, athlete.

Strength: Aesthetics, physical education and various body therapies, medicine, zoologist.

The Hermit: Teacher, writer, doctor, antique dealer, restorer, librarian, gardener.

Wheel of Fortune: Financial market, exchange offices, casinos, lottery houses, stock exchanges, and areas related to public relations, hospitality, game show host.

Justice: Public jobs, won through competitions, politics, police, with government positions, in the diplomatic area, law, insurance company worker.

The Hanged Man: Nurse, auditor, inspector, porter, secretariat, general assistants, yoga instructor, prison guard, philanthropist.

Death: Doctor, farmer, geologist, business administrator, gardener, accountant, assassin, death row executioner, surgeon.

Temperance: Working with liquids in general or with what is transported in liquid form such as alcoholic beverages, medicines, juices. chemist, chef, food critic, regional or even international traffic.

The Devil: Does not limit the individual to a professional wing, so he can also go to extremes for the desire he has, such as landlord, drug lord, sex trafficker.

The Tower: Social assistance, humanitarian aid, medicine, firefighter, police officer, construction worker.

The Star: Music, painting, sculpture, poetry, cinema, makeup artist, dressmaker, beautician, agent, promoter, sound artist, astronomer, harpist, dealer, meteorologist.

The Moon: Oceanographers, sailors, fishermen, owners of bars and restaurants or nightclubs, artists in general, medium, hypnotist, psychiatrist.

The Sun: Motivational speaker, entertainer, comedian, social relationships, work with the public, artist in general, member of society.

Judgment: Work done at home, connection with the law, lawyer, judge, work with disabled or people excluded from society, social assistance, board member, executive producer, director.

The World: Pharmacist, massage therapist, scientist, teacher, community leader, religious leader or priest, fashion designer, makeup artist, interior decorator.

Wands:

Creative industries such as advertising, marketing, and graphic design.

Entrepreneurship and starting your own business.

Athletics, sports coaching, or physical training.

Outdoor jobs like park ranger or tour guide.

Event planning or organizing.

Firefighters or rescue workers.

Ace of Wands: Entrepreneur, startup founder, motivational speaker, fitness coach, personal trainer.

Two of Wands: Business strategist, project manager, travel agent, international consultant, import/export specialist.

Three of Wands: Sales representative, marketing manager, e-commerce entrepreneur, market researcher, international trade coordinator.

Four of Wands: Event planner, wedding coordinator, party organizer, festival manager, hospitality industry professional.

Five of Wands: Conflict resolution specialist, mediator, lawyer, debate coach, competitive sports coach.

Six of Wands: Public relations manager, spokesperson, social media influencer, motivational speaker, winning athlete.

Seven of Wands: Defense attorney, human rights activist, political campaigner, advocate, civil liberties lawyer.

Eight of Wands: Courier, delivery driver, airline pilot, travel blogger, expedition guide.

Nine of Wands: Security guard, bodyguard, soldier, endurance athlete, self-defense instructor.

Ten of Wands: Overworked entrepreneur, project manager, event organizer, professional organizer, heavy equipment operator.

Page of Wands: Assistant in a creative field, aspiring artist, intern in a startup, social media coordinator, apprentice.

Knight of Wands: Travel journalist, adventure tour guide, professional athlete, race car driver, stunt performer.

Queen of Wands: CEO, business owner, charismatic leader, life coach, influential speaker.

King of Wands: Executive manager, entrepreneur, leadership coach, consultant, director of a creative agency.

Cups:

Counseling, therapy, or social work.

Hospitality industry, including restaurant management and bartending.

Wedding planner or event coordinator.

Artistic fields like poetry, writing, or acting.

Healing professions such as nursing or holistic therapy.

Psychologist or counselor specializing in emotions and relationships.

Ace of Cups: Therapist, counselor, social worker, holistic healer, emotional support specialist.

Two of Cups: Marriage counselor, matchmaker, relationship coach, wedding planner, love psychic.

Three of Cups: Event organizer, party planner, celebratory event coordinator, community organizer.

Four of Cups: Meditation teacher, mindfulness coach, spiritual counselor, psychologist, therapist.

Five of Cups: Grief counselor, trauma therapist, hospice worker, emotional healing practitioner, bereavement support.

Six of Cups: Child psychologist, teacher, daycare worker, children's book author, pediatric nurse.

Seven of Cups: Creative writer, fantasy novelist, imaginative artist, dream analyst, visionary.

Eight of Cups: Travel blogger, adventure seeker, spiritual pilgrim, explorer, wanderlust photographer.

Nine of Cups: Life coach, happiness consultant, gratitude coach, self-help author, wellness retreat organizer.

Ten of Cups: Family therapist, marriage and family counselor, foster care advocate, wedding planner, family mediator.

Page of Cups: Creative writer, artist in training, intuitive healer, aspiring therapist, dream interpreter.

Knight of Cups: Actor, romantic poet, musician, art therapist, love and relationship coach.

Queen of Cups: Psychic reader, intuitive healer, counselor, compassionate caregiver, therapist.

King of Cups: Therapist, counselor, intuitive mentor, emotional intelligence trainer, psychologist.

Swords:

Legal professions like lawyers, judges, or law enforcement officers.

Journalists, reporters, or investigators.

IT specialists, computer programmers, or hackers.

Teachers or professors specializing in critical thinking or philosophy.

Military or defense-related careers.

Strategic planners or analysts.

Ace of Swords: Lawyer, judge, legal consultant, investigative journalist, strategic planner.

Two of Swords: Mediator, conflict resolution specialist, negotiator, diplomat, relationship counselor.

Three of Swords: Divorce lawyer, grief counselor, trauma therapist, emotional healer, heart surgeon.

Four of Swords: Rest and relaxation specialist, meditation teacher, spiritual retreat organizer, yoga instructor.

Five of Swords: Military strategist, competitive sports coach, lawyer specializing in litigation, debate coach.

Six of Swords: Travel agent, relocation consultant, therapist specializing in transitions, boat captain.

Seven of Swords: Private investigator, spy, intelligence analyst, cybersecurity expert, undercover agent.

Eight of Swords: Social justice lawyer, human rights advocate, disability rights activist, therapist specializing in limiting beliefs.

Nine of Swords: Insomnia specialist, anxiety therapist, nightmare counselor, sleep coach, mental health counselor.

Ten of Swords: Surgeon, coroner, forensic scientist, mortician, grief counselor.

Page of Swords: Researcher, journalist, fact-checker, apprentice in a legal field, investigative reporter.

Knight of Swords: Military officer, police officer, attorney, competitive fencer, conflict resolution specialist.

Queen of Swords: Judge, lawyer, critic, journalist, literary agent.

King of Swords: Judge, attorney, CEO, strategist, military general.

Pentacles:

Financial advisors or investment bankers.

Real estate agents or property developers.

Agriculture, farming, or gardening.

Architects, builders, or construction workers.

Conservationists or environmentalists.

Accountants or bookkeepers.

Ace of Pentacles: Financial advisor, investment banker, wealth manager, entrepreneur, luxury goods retailer.

Two of Pentacles: Financial analyst, accountant, bookkeeper, event planner, stock trader.

Three of Pentacles: Architect, contractor, project manager, teamwork facilitator, craftsman.

Four of Pentacles: Wealth manager, investor, financial planner, asset protection specialist, treasurer.

Five of Pentacles: Social worker, philanthropist, charity organizer, financial counselor, volunteer.

Six of Pentacles: Philanthropist, humanitarian worker, non-profit manager, social worker, charitable fundraiser.

Seven of Pentacles: Gardener, farmer, agricultural consultant, sustainability expert, botanist.

Eight of Pentacles: Craftsperson, artisan, apprentice, skilled tradesperson, technical trainer.

Nine of Pentacles: Luxury brand manager, independent business owner, successful entrepreneur, vineyard owner, art collector.

Ten of Pentacles: Real estate developer, property investor, family business owner, generational wealth manager, financial advisor.

Page of Pentacles: Intern, student, apprentice in a practical field, aspiring entrepreneur, entry-level employee.

Knight of Pentacles: Accountant, financial planner, farmer, skilled tradesperson, meticulous worker.

Queen of Pentacles: CEO, business owner, property developer, hospitality industry entrepreneur, financial advisor.

King of Pentacles: CEO, business mogul, successful investor, high-level executive, financial consultant.

(CC) AstroJulia Some Rights Reserved

[dirtyzucchini]

Let me tell you something about Constable Benton Fraser, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who came to Chicago on the trail of the killers of his father and, for reasons that don't need exploring at this juncture, remained, attached as liaison with the Canadian consulate.

There was never much of a chance that Benton Fraser would grow up to be what most people would casually call "a regular guy". From what little insight we get, no part of his childhood would have been standard. Looking at the anecdote Bob Fraser tells in Burning Down The House, we can assume that Benton grew up in a cabin his father built by hand, in a location remote enough and far enough North that living in an igloo during the construction of said cabin was a sensible thing for his parents to do. We see one picture of the family in Good For The Soul, and it is a puzzler:

Now, I wasn't around in the mid to late 1960's when that photo would have been taken, and I've never been to Canada's far North, but everything I could find anywhere tells me that that is not how (white!) people dressed then even up there, and no, I am not talking about trendy fashion. Everyday clothing looked pretty much like what we still wear today, but the people in that picture don't. They look like this guy - a European "explorer" whose picture was taken in 1889:

Side note: I am purposely only talking about white/western/mainstream society in this post because the Frasers are white.

I wonder what drove them to live like this, and so far away from other people? It can't have been money, Bob would have made enough to support them. I guess Fraser's parents weren't regular guys, either.

Anyway, we know that Bob wasn't around much while Fraser's mother was alive, and even less so after her death. He handed the boy off to his own parents instead, and Benton was raised by literal, real life Edwardians, people who were born before the invention of band-aids and bubblegum. Public radio broadcasts were cutting-edge technology when they were young. I'm glad they stepped up, and I'm sure they did their best, but they weren't exactly well-equipped to prepare a child for life in modern society. They were librarians who for some reason moved around a lot. When he was eight, they took Benton to a place called Alert - the northernmost continously inhabited place in the world. Unfortunately it's inhabited by soldiers and researchers who go there on six-months-tours, but it counts because the tours overlap. Fraser would have been the only child there, and, the times being what they were, his grandmother the only woman. What librarians would have done in Alert we can only speculate about, but between this and the fact that they helped build an English-speaking library in China before the revolution, we can safely assume that we are dealing with another generation of non-regular Frasers here. This idea is supported by the fact that they fed Fraser arctic tern for Christmas. Each bird weighs under 130 grams, and they would be hard to come by in northern Canada in December because they migrate to literally the other end of the world after breeding in the Arctic in the summer. I'm not entirely certain what this says about Fraser's grandparents, but it sure says something, doesn't it?

This bird may scream, but it does not scream Christmas to me.

Listen, I LOVE that Fraser's grandmother taught him how to box from a book.

Perhaps this one from 1922? In this book, the writer "not only describes the various moves of the game and traces the history of their development but deals comprehensively with all the factors of body and mind that make for success in the ring." Sounds like a good choice!

I do NOT love that she taught him that being in the hospital for three weeks after being shot in the back is "babying yourself". She also raised Bob Fraser to be the kind of man who tells his journal "The last time I saw Ben, he was barely tall enough to reach my belt. When I said good-bye he shook my hand. Never a tear or a complaint. Seven years old and he's already a stronger man than I'll ever be. Someday I'll tell him.", and friends, I DO NOT love that at all. That is NOT a healthy way to deal with emotions, and I think we can agree that growing up guided by these mindsets did Fraser no favors at all. Look at how he lives! His apartment is absolutely bare-bones, no personality, and after that he literally lives in his office - this is a man who gets REALLY uncomfortable when he's comfortable, is what I'm saying. Everything he does is quick and efficient to make sure he can devote a maximum amount of time to his work. I'd bet "Idle hands are the devil's workshop" was a very common saying in the Fraser household.

Look, our upbringing informs who we become, how we approach life, how we connect to those around us. Fraser's view of the world is completely different from how other people see it. Long before he's displaced geographically, he's displaced in time.

He grew up without TV, and while living with librarians gave him access to a large number of books, the libraries they worked at served remote communities and would not have been all too well funded. It stands to reason they would have had to make their books last as long as possible, and that new purchases would have been, shall we say, conservative? Copies of beloved classics, books with general appeal, books with educational/instructional value would have made up the bulk of purchases. Even if the librarians wanted to, there would have been little money to buy more controversial books - and it doesn't seem likely that Fraser's grandparents would have wanted to. Fraser probably grew up on adventure tales, detective stories and, as a teen and young adult, the classics from Austen to Shakespeare.

When he gets to Depot in Regina to become a Mountie he has nothing in common with the other recruits, and that continues throughout all his career. There's a reason he's still a Constable after all his years of service: he's severely lacking in social skills, and his upbringing is a big part of that problem*. He was raised by Edwardians on Victorian (and Romantic) mores and values, and bridging that gap to make connections with people from what's essentially a different world is very, very hard.

TL,DR: Fraser is both an alien and a time traveler, and we should remember that when we talk about him.

*Other parts of the problem are his queerness and neurodiversity, but those are topics for another essay. Please know that by problem I do NOT mean there's something wrong with him, I mean that there's something wrong with how society treats people like him.

Big thank you to @sammaggs and @sammeltassensammelsurium for excellent feedback!

[vintagerpg]

FASA, which would later go on to do stuff like the Star Trek RPG and Shadowrun, got its start producing third party material for Traveller. Ordeal by Eshaar (1981) is an adventure set during the Fifth Frontier War, in which the players travel to an extremely hostile planet (hot and toxic) where Imperial and Zhodani interests are competing for mineral rights important to the war efforts on both sides. Both have embassies on a Scout Service dome on the planet (as do the Vargr). Players get to participate in the wrangling of the diplomats, then safeguard an imperial survey mission, which the Zhodani sabotage. That leaves the Imperials in poor standing with the natives, who demand the survey team participate in an Ordeal (essentially, a long, purifying survival run through the planet’s hostile environment) to atone. It’s pretty good and it feels pretty much like a GDW Traveller product!

And it should be, because it is written by the Keith brothers (J. Andrew and William), who had previously written material on contract for GDW. J. Andrew wrote so much for the Journal of the Travellers’ Aid Society that he used two pseudonyms so it didn’t look so obvious he was writing everything. The brothers were prolific freelancers, so when FASA started producing Traveller material, they were right there, writing most of it.

[pokejstor]

Excerpt from The Journals of Warden Nobori: A Glimpse into the Mundanities of Hisuian Life.

Part of Sinnoh Historical Society Digital Collections.

Klio Mizuki

Documents of the late Hisui Era, vol 9, no. 3

At last, I have the dubious honor of meeting my counterpart from the Diamond Clan. As I wrote a few days ago, I decided to set up a system of torches in Wayward Cave to limit the amount of travelers who would lose their way. Without the aid of Lady Sneasler, this cave is the only way to proceed higher up the mountain, making it an incredibly important route. My own clan approved of my idea, but it seems that the Diamond Clan did not.

I entered Wayward Cave, only to find the other Warden- Tsubaki* is their name- in the process of extinguishing and removing them. Naturally, I rushed to confront them, only to receive quite the earful about disturbing the wild Pokemon living in these caves. When I tried to explain that I only left torches along the main path of the cave, leaving the depths and various side passages unlit for the Pokemon to inhabit, they became enraged and insisted that I am encroaching on their habitat. My argument that people will use these caves to travel anyways, and I am giving them a swifter and safer track to follow was ignored. In the end, they pushed me into a pool in the cavern, where a startled Barboach attacked me. Rather than assisting me, Tsubaki laughed and left.

For the sake of maintaining good relations with the Diamond Clan, I will not mention this incident to anyone else. Once I climbed out of the water, I replaced the torches. As I write, I notice that my nose is rather stuffy. I am trying to think kindly of Tsubaki, and truthfully, I must admit that the concern he shows for the wild Pokemon of Wayward Cave is admirable. I am simply irritated that I may be coming down with the Sneasels^. Again. At least I can treat my illness with some Barboach ohaw+.

*[This is the Hisuian name of the Warden known as Melli.]

^[This is a pun which, fortunately, translates easily into other languages. In both Ichowan and Hisuy-itak, the word for Sneasel can also be translated as illness. In Galarian and Unovan, it resembles the word sniffles. The translators have done our best to maintain the many, many puns that Warden Nobori makes in his journals.]

+[This is a soup dish that was popular among the Diamond and Pearl Clans, made by adding meat and vegetables to a bone broth.]

[snuh]

Chris Foss: Journal of the Travellers’ Aid Society #25 - Imperium Games #157828100, 1996

[howwelldoyouknowyourmoon]

Many parents suffered heartbreak after losing their children to the Moonies

Voices of parents of children lost to the moonies 8

February 16, 1976

Our son, [redacted], has been affiliated with one or another of Sun Myung Moon’s many “front ” groups for the past 3½ years, during which time we have had many personal experiences which convince us that Moon is engaged in personal aggrandizement and the accumulation of political power, rather than truly leading a religious movement.

Any questions we have put to responsible members of the groups, including our son, relative to the flow of cash, or group insurance, or group health plans for the members, have been met with evasions, generalizations, half-truths or lies. We have seen at first hand, serious exploitation of the rank and file group members selling flowers and the like on the streets of our cities, producing enormous money for the movement, but living at a below-subsistence level, jeopardizing their physical well-being.

Although Moon and his followers profess to aid the people of the world, we have seen no evidences of the usual charitable assistance or retraining functions. We have seen instead, the purchase of palatial estates and specially-built limousines. Other vast sums have been spent on high-cost media promotions and lecture tours nationwide by Mr. Moon.

We firmly believe Sun Myung Moon represents a serious threat, not only to the members and families of his groups, but potentially to our entire democratic society and institutions.

We urge strongly that Moon’s claim to religious tax status be thoroughly investigated by the proper government agencies and another investigation be mounted in the area of fiscal probity and responsibility.

[redacted] and I are prepared at any time to support the above through personal experiences at the Boonville, Oakland and Berkeley, California and New York, New York properties of Moon.

_____________________________________

February 13, 1976

[redacted] is the youngest of three children. She was born in 1957. She graduated from high school in June 1975 and three days later moved into the Unification Church Center at Southeast 39th & Hawthorne in Portland. She has since been transferred to the Center at [redacted]

She was a four year honor roll student with a G.P.A. for four years of 3.89. She was a member of the speech team, the honor math club, and was active in tennis, journalism, and track. During her senior year she dropped all activities and wanted to graduate early to join the MOON group. I refused to let her do this but after graduation she joined them.

The group travel around to different towns and are expected to be up sometimes twenty hours a day trying to get others to join them and to earn from $100 to $200 a day selling candy, flowers and homemade granariums. They have no service to people and all funds above their most urgent needs are sent to the MOON Headquarters.

Since last June I have seen very little of her. At Thanksgiving she came home for one day. Her father and I tried to talk to her but she withdrew and practically said nothing more to us. At Christmas she was home two nights and one day. During this time she was picked up three times by the group for a couple of hours and spent very little time with us. Christmas night her older brother asked three friends to the house to talk to her. One, a close girl friend, and the other two are bible students from an eastern bible college. One of the boys had written a college paper on Moon’s Divine Principle and could compare it to actual Bible Scriptures. They talked with her from 5:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. She left once and came back saying she did not wish to talk to them anymore. After family pressure they again talked to her. They were unable to penetrate the MOON brainwashing.

On January 27th, her older sister, father and I found she was in [redacted] and tried to take her out for breakfast and visit with her. She refused to leave the group and we could only see her inside the Center. After twenty minutes the group started singing “You Are My Sunshine” so loudly that we could no longer hear. She intends to spend the rest of her life there.

[redacted] has all the signs described in the many articles about the group. The exhausted glassy eyed, fixed facial smile. These remarks have been made to me by people at our home on Christmas Eve who know her well. She is not the same person.

Please help us in our endeavors for a Congressional Investigation.

_____________________________________

To all concerned,

This letter is to inform you of our son’s involvement in the Unification Church and our efforts to get him released through the organization of Citizens Engaged in Reuniting Families, Inc. (CERF)

Our son, [redacted] age 19 – honor graduate from North High School, June 1975 – recipient of two scholarships.... The youngest of our four children, member of the United Methodist Church, ex Boy Scout, member of DeMolay,....

Through the usual tactics, days at the [redacted] Center, working on their cars, weekends at “retreats”, three week “training” in Minneapolis (“to see if he really wanted to join”) – [redacted] was brainwashed and taken into the Unification Church. By using him they succeeding in getting his girl friend out of college at [redacted] in September. He then was sent off to Barrytown, New York for 40 days training. He was sure, when he left for Barrytown that he would be home for Christmas. He was not, the last day we saw him was October 16, 1975. We thank God that he does contact us occasionally. He says: “I want to come home, but can’t” — “The happiest day of my life will be when I can see all of you again” — “I miss home and all of you more than you can imagine” — “I would come home if I could, but I can’t”. Needless to say we will do anything to get him back .

We fear not only for the mental and physical well being of [redacted] but also for all the special youth who have been taken into such organizations in the world. Also, we feel such organizations are a great threat to our country and the world.

We pray daily that something can be done and we will help in any way we can.

More detailed information about our experiences with the Unification Church and [redacted] involvement in it will gladly be given upon request.

Sincerely,

[redacted]

_____________________________________

The sequence of events which occurred to my son in his involvement with the Unification Church

[redacted] was approached last summer on the steps of the New York Library, while studying for his Law Boards, by members of the Unification Church who induced him to go to their 43rd street headquarters. [redacted] visited there several times, unbeknownst to his mother and myself and later, instead of going back to school at [redacted] College, where he had two semesters to go, went to a seven day indoctrination program into the Moon Movement.

He emerged from this a totally changed person, disregarding his schoolwork to a great extent, alienating himself from his friends at school, as well as his family. He now spouted gibberish such as, “Six million Jews perished in Europe due to the fact that they were responsible for the death of Jesus Christ”. A few months ago, prior to his involvement with the Moon Movement, [redacted] would have been shocked at this association.

Upon his completion of his next to last semester at [redacted], he has quit school and entered full time into the movement. He has lost all contact with family and friends. He was kept physically from speaking to his mother when we went to Tarrytown to see him and, at present, his whereabouts are kept secret from us so that all communications have stopped.

He is a total stranger to his entire family, to his friends and to all his former beliefs and has totally withdrawn and been brainwashed by this insipid movement which is avowed to take over the U.S. as well as the rest of the world.

In Mr. Moon’s manifesto he states that his is the Messiah, that he must become the richest and most powerful man on earth, in order to control it, and can use any means whatsoever to obtain this end.

My son, we understand now, is “fund-raising” which means he is selling flowers or candy in the streets, being moved from town to town. The money he raises goes tax free to enrich Rev. Moon. All of [redacted] ambitions, hopes and aspirations for the future have been taken away from him and he is no longer master of his own destiny.

Name withheld

_____________________________________

Voices of parents of children lost to the moonies 1 Ken Sudo’s 120-day Training Manual and Moonie telephone fraud

Voices of parents of children lost to the moonies 2 Moon’s mass marriages are “a form of sex perversion”

Voices of parents of children lost to the moonies 3 Our son “seemed to be in a bizarre world of science fiction”

Voices of parents of children lost to the moonies 4 “only if she got rid of the baby and gave it up for adoption”

Voices of parents of children lost to the moonies 5 Moon is a man devoid of of human compassion

Voices of parents of children lost to the moonies 6 “One of your ancestors was a peeping Tom.”

Voices of parents of children lost to the moonies 7 Secret marriage, shaking and vomiting

Voices of parents of children lost to the moonies 9

[scotianostra]

On 28th May 1926 Sir James Cantlie, the Scottish physician, died.

Cantlie was born in Banffshire and little is known of his early life, he graduated from Aberdeen University as MA in natural science in 1871, and then received training in medicine. He was Instructor in Anatomy at Charing Cross Hospital Medical School, London, and later worked as Demonstrator in Anatomy, House Physician, House Surgeon, and Surgical Registrar. He became one of the first members of the St John’s Ambulance Society.

In 1878, Cantlie compiled a practical manual on first aid, using the notes of his friend Peter Shepherd. Handbook describing aids for cases of injuries or sudden illness (retitled in later editions as First aid to the injured) was one of the first manuals of this kind. Used as the official first aid manual for the St John’s Ambulance Society, it remained a widely distributed text until the 1950s.

Cantlie’s involvement in tropical medicine began in 1877, when he volunteered to assist with a cholera epidemic in Egypt. In 1885, Cantlie travelled to Hong Kong and took over a medical practice established by a fellow Scottish tropical medicine specialist, Patrick Manson; he treated both Chinese and European patients. With Patrick Manson and Chinese physician Ho Kai, he founded the Hong Kong College of Medicine for the Chinese at the Alice Memorial Hospital. Sun Yat-Sen, who would later become the first President of the Chinese Republic, was one of the first graduates.

While based in Hong Kong, Cantlie took an interest in the distribution of leprosy in China, and published several books and essays on the subject. He was concerned that Chinese people with leprosy posed an imminent threat to the British Empire. He called for rigorous medical inspection of Chinese migrants and the deportation of any migrants with leprosy, and warned of worldwide disaster if Chinese people with leprosy were allowed to travel freely Cantlie returned to London in 1896 and continued to practice in tropical medicine. With Sir William Simpson, he founded the Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in 1898, and with Manson, he founded the London School of Tropical Medicine in 1899. He founded the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine in 1907, and served as its president from 1921 to 1923.

Cantlie remained interested in first aid, and was involved with the Red Cross during the First World War. He died in London in 1926.

[overlookedwwiimedia]

Fanny's Journey (2016)

Basic Story: Fanny and eight other children must flee Nazi occupation and make their way to Switzerland, alone.

Fan Thoughts: Fanny’s Journey is a French and Belgian film that follows a group of children fleeing the Nazis in France.  There were several organizations during the war whose goal was to rescue children and get them away from danger, one of which was the Children's Aid Society.  Some families would send their children to these groups in an attempt to keep them safe, which is how Fanny and her sisters ended up in a house run by the Children's Aid Society hidden in the countryside.  When a local man betrays the home, the children are frantically ushered to a new house, but eventually they must move again and their caretakers, Madame Forman and Elie, put the children on a series of trains, having to meet them at the stations because while the children did not need papers to travel the adults would.  Eventually they are transferred to a smuggler who is caught en route by Vichy policemen, who hold the children captive and try to get them to reveal that they are Jewish.  After several days, they are able to escape and travel through the countryside, alone, struggling to find food, water, and shelter.  While this is a harrowing tale, based on the autobiography of Fanny Ben-Ami (Le journal de Fanny) there are moments where they are just kids, splashing each other in a creek or playing house in an abandoned cabin.  Personally one of the most interesting things about the story was that their interactions with the actually Germans are rare, the people who were the most danger to them in the film were fellow Frenchmen, the Vichy police.  The whole film feels very polished, and any violence happens well off camera which makes it more palatable for a wider audience, especially important in a story following children.  If this was not based on an autobiography it was strain believability because their journey is so incredible, this is worth watching for the story alone!

Warnings: none

Available On: Tubi, Vudu, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, Apple TV

[dan6085]

Here is a list of the top 25 non-fiction books from 1960 onwards, spanning various genres including memoirs, history, science, and politics. Each book is accompanied by an overview and its significance.

### 1. **"Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson**

- **Published**: 1962

- **Overview**: Carson’s book brought to light the environmental impacts of pesticides, particularly DDT, on ecosystems and human health.

- **Significance**: "Silent Spring" is credited with launching the modern environmental movement and led to the eventual ban of DDT in the U.S.

### 2. **"The Feminine Mystique" by Betty Friedan**

- **Published**: 1963

- **Overview**: Friedan’s book examines the dissatisfaction of many women in the 1950s and 1960s, challenging the idea that women could only find fulfillment through homemaking and motherhood.

- **Significance**: This book is often credited with sparking the second wave of feminism in the United States.

### 3. **"The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Malcolm X and Alex Haley**

- **Published**: 1965

- **Overview**: The autobiography traces Malcolm X’s life, from his troubled childhood to his involvement in the Nation of Islam, and his evolving views on race and society.

- **Significance**: The book is a seminal work on race relations in America and continues to inspire discussions about race, identity, and activism.

### 4. **"In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote**

- **Published**: 1966

- **Overview**: Capote's book recounts the brutal murder of a Kansas family in 1959 and the subsequent investigation and trial. It is often considered the first "nonfiction novel."

- **Significance**: "In Cold Blood" is a groundbreaking work in the true crime genre and set the standard for narrative nonfiction.

### 5. **"The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" by Tom Wolfe**

- **Published**: 1968

- **Overview**: Wolfe’s book chronicles the adventures of Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters as they travel across the U.S. experimenting with LSD, capturing the essence of the 1960s counterculture.

- **Significance**: This work is a key document of the 1960s, showcasing the rise of the psychedelic movement and new journalism.

### 6. **"The Double Helix" by James D. Watson**

- **Published**: 1968

- **Overview**: Watson's book details the discovery of the structure of DNA, a pivotal moment in the history of science, and the collaborative yet competitive process behind it.

- **Significance**: This book offers a unique insight into the scientific process and has influenced both science and literature.

### 7. **"The Whole Earth Catalog" by Stewart Brand**

- **Published**: 1968

- **Overview**: This catalog was a countercultural publication that compiled tools, books, and resources for individuals interested in self-sufficiency and alternative lifestyles.

- **Significance**: The catalog was a major influence on the environmental movement and the rise of the digital age, inspiring figures like Steve Jobs.

### 8. **"Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" by Dee Brown**

- **Published**: 1970

- **Overview**: Brown’s book provides a history of the American West from the perspective of Native Americans, focusing on the injustices they faced during the westward expansion.

- **Significance**: This work reshaped how Americans understand their history and brought greater awareness to the plight of Native Americans.

### 9. **"The Pentagon Papers" by The New York Times**

- **Published**: 1971

- **Overview**: The Pentagon Papers were a secret government report on the Vietnam War, revealing the U.S. government's deception about the war's progress and objectives.

- **Significance**: Their publication led to a major political scandal and fueled public opposition to the Vietnam War.

### 10. **"All the President’s Men" by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein**

- **Published**: 1974

- **Overview**: This book chronicles the investigative journalism that uncovered the Watergate scandal, leading to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

- **Significance**: It remains a landmark in investigative journalism and a definitive account of one of the biggest political scandals in U.S. history.

### 11. **"The Selfish Gene" by Richard Dawkins**

- **Published**: 1976

- **Overview**: Dawkins introduces the concept of the "selfish gene" to explain evolution, emphasizing the role of genes in the process of natural selection.

- **Significance**: This book popularized the gene-centered view of evolution and has had a profound impact on biology and the public understanding of science.

### 12. **"Roots: The Saga of an American Family" by Alex Haley**

- **Published**: 1976

- **Overview**: Haley traces his ancestry back to Africa, telling the story of his forebears, from their capture and enslavement to their lives in the United States.

- **Significance**: "Roots" had a major cultural impact, raising awareness of African American history and the legacy of slavery in the United States.

### 13. **"The Right Stuff" by Tom Wolfe**

- **Published**: 1979

- **Overview**: Wolfe tells the story of the test pilots who became America’s first astronauts, focusing on their courage and the pioneering spirit of the early space program.

- **Significance**: This book is a classic account of the early space race and has had a lasting impact on how the astronauts and the space program are perceived.

### 14. **"Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid" by Douglas Hofstadter**

- **Published**: 1979

- **Overview**: Hofstadter’s book explores the connections between the works of mathematician Kurt Gödel, artist M.C. Escher, and composer Johann Sebastian Bach, weaving them into a narrative about human cognition, creativity, and consciousness.

- **Significance**: This Pulitzer Prize-winning book is celebrated for its depth and complexity, influencing thinking in fields as diverse as mathematics, computer science, and philosophy.

### 15. **"The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat" by Oliver Sacks**

- **Published**: 1985

- **Overview**: Sacks presents a collection of case studies of patients with neurological disorders, illustrating the complexity and mystery of the human brain.

- **Significance**: Sacks’ empathetic and narrative-driven approach to neurology brought the subject to a broad audience, bridging the gap between science and storytelling.

### 16. **"The Closing of the American Mind" by Allan Bloom**

- **Published**: 1987

- **Overview**: Bloom criticizes the decline of intellectual rigor and moral standards in American higher education, arguing that universities have failed to provide students with a true liberal education.

- **Significance**: This controversial book sparked widespread debate about the state of education and the value of the humanities in American society.

### 17. **"A Brief History of Time" by Stephen Hawking**

- **Published**: 1988

- **Overview**: Hawking’s book explores the nature of the universe, covering topics such as the Big Bang, black holes, and the nature of time, in a way that is accessible to non-scientists.

- **Significance**: This landmark book made complex concepts in physics understandable to a general audience and became one of the best-selling science books of all time.

### 18. **"The Art of the Deal" by Donald Trump and Tony Schwartz**

- **Published**: 1987

- **Overview**: This book offers insights into Trump’s business strategies and philosophies, showcasing his approach to deal-making in the real estate industry.

- **Significance**: "The Art of the Deal" became a bestseller and significantly shaped public perception of Trump as a savvy businessman.

### 19. **"The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11" by Lawrence Wright**

- **Published**: 2006

- **Overview**: Wright traces the history of Islamic fundamentalism and the rise of al-Qaeda, culminating in the events of September 11, 2001.

- **Significance**: This Pulitzer Prize-winning book is considered a definitive account of the origins of al-Qaeda and the lead-up to the 9/11 attacks.

### 20. **"The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference" by Malcolm Gladwell**

- **Published**: 2000

- **Overview**: Gladwell explores how small changes can have significant effects, examining the factors that contribute to social change, trends, and epidemics.

- **Significance**: "The Tipping Point" popularized the idea of tipping points in sociology and economics, influencing how people think about social phenomena.

### 21. **"Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared Diamond**

- **Published**: 1997

- **Overview**: Diamond examines the factors that have influenced the development of human societies, arguing that geography, environment, and biology play crucial roles in shaping civilizations.

- **Significance**: This Pulitzer Prize-winning book has had a profound impact on our understanding of the factors driving human history, offering a comprehensive theory on why some societies have historically dominated others.

### 22. **"The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot**

- **Published**: 2010

- **Overview**: Skloot tells the story of Henrietta Lacks, whose cancer cells were used for groundbreaking medical research without her knowledge, and explores the ethical issues and personal impact of her cells' use.

- **Significance**: This book sheds light on important issues related to medical ethics, race, and the intersection of science and human rights, contributing to ongoing discussions about consent and the treatment of marginalized individuals in medical research.

### 23. **"Thinking, Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman**

- **Published**: 2011

- **Overview**: Kahneman, a Nobel laureate in Economics, explores the dual systems of thought that drive human decision-making: the fast, intuitive system and the slow, deliberate system.

- **Significance**: The book has been influential in psychology, economics, and behavioral science, providing a comprehensive overview of cognitive biases and how they affect our decisions.

### 24. **"Educated" by Tara Westover**

- **Published**: 2018

- **Overview**: Westover's memoir details her journey from growing up in a strict and abusive household in rural Idaho with little formal education to earning a PhD from Cambridge University.

- **Significance**: "Educated" has been praised for its exploration of the transformative power of education and the struggle for self-identity against a backdrop of familial and cultural constraints.

### 25. **"Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari**

- **Published**: 2011

- **Overview**: Harari provides a sweeping overview of human history, from the emergence of Homo sapiens to the present day, examining how shared beliefs and collective myths have shaped societies.

- **Significance**: This bestselling book offers a provocative and accessible interpretation of human history, challenging readers to think critically about the development of societies and the future of humanity.

These non-fiction works have each made a significant impact in their respective fields, whether by reshaping public understanding, influencing academic discourse, or inspiring readers to think differently about the world.

[oldschoolfrp]

Space travelers find themselves in another firefight (William H Keith, The Journal of the Travellers’ Aid Society No. 5, Game Designers’ Workshop, 1980)

[thegaminggang]

The Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society 3 Kickstarter Passes 500% Funding Mark - https://thegaminggang.com/game-news/the-journal-of-the-travellers-aid-society-3-kickstarter-passes-500-funding-mark/...

[jamesdavisnicoll]

Bundle of Holding: Mongoose JTAS The first 12 volumes of the Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society, the guides for the Traveller tabletop science fiction roleplaying game from Mongoose Publishing.

[penandprompt]

April 15th: International Microvolunteering Day

Science Fiction: In a future society, virtual reality technology has made remote volunteering in disaster-stricken areas possible. Explore the experiences of individuals who volunteer from home, aiding survivors and navigating digital worlds to provide assistance.

Romantic Comedy: Two people who regularly volunteer from home, participating in an online community project, strike up a charming online friendship. However, when they finally meet in person, their real-life interactions are hilariously different from their digital personas.

Historical Fiction: Set during a global crisis, follow the journey of individuals who contribute to the war effort from their homes, knitting socks, assembling care packages, and writing letters to troops on the front lines.

Fantasy Adventure: In a magical realm, a group of volunteers with unique abilities is summoned to protect their kingdom from an impending threat. They must work together and complete tasks remotely, using their magical skills to save their land.

Mystery Thriller: A cybersecurity expert is recruited to investigate a series of cyberattacks on an international microvolunteering platform. As they dig deeper, they uncover a complex web of motives and a plot that could jeopardize global volunteering efforts.

Dystopian Sci-Fi: In a future where society is controlled by a powerful government, explore the lives of secret volunteers who work from their homes to subvert the regime and provide aid to oppressed communities.

Contemporary Drama: A successful CEO decides to use their wealth and influence to establish a platform for microvolunteering, connecting people worldwide to various charitable causes. The story delves into the challenges and rewards of this endeavor.

Time-Travel Fantasy: A character discovers a mysterious object that allows them to travel back in time to help people in need, all from the comfort of their own home. However, their actions in the past have unforeseen consequences on the present.

Urban Fantasy: In a city filled with supernatural beings, a group of volunteers takes on paranormal cases. Follow their adventures as they solve supernatural mysteries and assist both the living and the spectral.

Post-Apocalyptic Adventure: After a global catastrophe, a network of survivors communicates through old technology to provide essential aid to isolated communities. One volunteer's journey to deliver supplies becomes an odyssey of resilience and hope.

Family Drama: Explore the dynamics of a family that dedicates their evenings to volunteering together, and the impact it has on their relationships and sense of purpose.

Romantic Fantasy: In a magical realm, a love story unfolds between a volunteer and the guardian spirit of a remote village. Their connection deepens as they work together to protect the village from supernatural threats.

Science Fantasy: In a world where advanced technology and ancient magic coexist, a group of volunteers from home is tasked with maintaining the balance between the two forces. They must remotely prevent cataclysmic events and ensure harmony.

Psychological Thriller: A thriller unfolds as a volunteer starts receiving cryptic messages during their remote volunteering sessions. They must decipher the messages to uncover a hidden threat and protect the cause they're working for.

Journaling: Reflect on your own experiences with volunteering. How has it impacted your life and the causes you care about?

[newstfionline]

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Young adults are more skeptical of government and pessimistic about the future than any living generation before them (WSJ) Young adults in Generation Z—those born in 1997 or after—have emerged from the pandemic feeling more disillusioned than any living generation before them, according to long-running surveys and interviews with dozens of young people around the country. They worry they’ll never make enough money to attain the security previous generations have achieved, citing their delayed launch into adulthood, an impenetrable housing market and loads of student debt. Gen Z’s widespread gloominess is manifesting in unparalleled skepticism of Washington and a feeling of despair that leaders of either party can help. Young Americans’ entire political memories are subsumed by intense partisanship and warnings about the looming end of everything from U.S. democracy to the planet. When the darkest days of the pandemic started to end, inflation reached 40-year highs. Wars in Ukraine and the Middle East raged. Dissatisfaction is pushing some young voters to third-party candidates in this year’s presidential race and causing others to consider staying home on Election Day or leaving the top of the ticket blank. A Wall Street Journal poll conducted last month found more than three-quarters of voters under 30 think the country is moving in the wrong direction—a greater share than any other age group. Nearly one-third of voters under 30 have an unfavorable view of both Biden and Trump, a higher number than all older voters. Sixty-three percent of young voters think neither party adequately represents them.

Schumer Urges New Leadership in Israel, Calling Netanyahu an Obstacle to Peace (NYT) Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, on Thursday delivered a pointed speech on the Senate floor excoriating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel as a major obstacle to peace in the Middle East and calling for new leadership in Israel, five months into the war. Many Democratic lawmakers have condemned Mr. Netanyahu’s leadership and his right-wing governing coalition, and President Biden has even criticized the Israeli military’s offensive in Gaza as “over the top.” But Mr. Schumer’s speech amounted to the sharpest critique yet from a senior American elected official—effectively urging Israelis to replace Mr. Netanyahu. “I believe in his heart, his highest priority is the security of Israel,” said Mr. Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in the United States. “However, I also believe Prime Minister Netanyahu has lost his way by allowing his political survival to take precedence over the best interests of Israel.”

Hundreds of people in Mexico City stretch out for a ‘mass nap’ to commemorate World Sleep Day (AP) hose walking through the milling streets of downtown Mexico City on Friday were greeted with a strange and sleepy sight. Lolling with bright blue yoga mats, sleeping masks and travel pillows, hundreds of Mexicans laid sprawled out on the ground at the base of the city’s iconic Monument to the Revolution to take a nap. Dubbed the “mass siesta,” the event was in commemoration of World Sleep Day. It was also meant to be a protest to push for sleep to be considered an essential part of health and wellness. Oscar Sánchez Escandón, a director of the event, said the event was meant to highlight “sleep inequality” around the world. “We live in a society that is full of economic, social and political commitments, where everything matters other than rest. That can have a strong impact on health,” he said.

Hunger soars and aid dwindles in Haiti (AP) A crowd of about 100 people tried to shove through a metal gate in Haiti’s capital as a guard with a baton pushed them back, threatening to hit them. Undeterred, children and adults alike, some of them carrying babies, kept elbowing each other trying to enter. “Let us in! We’re hungry!” they shouted on a recent afternoon. They were trying to get into a makeshift shelter in an abandoned school. Inside, workers dipped ladles into buckets filled with soup that they poured into Styrofoam containers stuffed with rice to distribute to Haitians who have lost homes to gang violence. Some 1.4 million Haitians are on the verge of famine, and more than 4 million require food aid, sometimes eating only once a day or nothing at all, aid groups say. “Haiti is facing a protractive and mass hunger,” Jean-Martin Bauer, Haiti director for the United Nation’s World Food Program, told The Associated Press. He noted that Croix-des-Bouquets, in the eastern part of Haiti’s capital, “has malnutrition rates comparable with any war zone in the world.”

UK children exposed to violent content online, see it as ‘inevitable’, report finds (Reuters) Children in Britain stumble on violent content online, including material promoting self-harm, while still at primary school and say it is an “inevitable part” of using the internet, according to research published on Friday. The report underlines the challenge facing world governments and tech groups to enact safeguarding measures, especially for minors. All of the 247 children, aged between 8-17, interviewed for the report—commissioned by Ofcom and carried out between May and November—came across violent content online mostly via social media, video-sharing and messaging sites and apps, Ofcom said.

Russian missiles kill 20 in Odesa (Reuters) A Russian ballistic missile attack struck a residential area in Ukraine’s Black Sea port city of Odesa on Friday, killing at least 20 people and wounding more than 70, in Moscow’s deadliest attack in weeks, Ukrainian officials said. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia would receive a “fair response” from Ukrainian forces for what he said was a “vile” assault on a city that has been attacked by Russian drones or missiles almost every day this month.

In this Ukrainian village, almost no men are left (Washington Post) Few men of fighting age are left in this village in southwest Ukraine, and those who remain fear they will be drafted at any moment. Their neighbors are already hundreds of miles east in trenches on the front lines. Some have been killed or wounded. Several are missing. Others from this rural area—about 45 miles from the borders of Romania and Moldova—have fled abroad or found ways to avoid the war, either with legitimate exemptions or by hiding. “It’s just a fact,” said Larysa Bodna, deputy director of the local school, which keeps a database of students whose parents are deployed. “Most of them are gone.” Ukraine desperately needs more troops, with its forces depleted by deaths, injuries and exhaustion. Civilians here say that means military recruiters are grabbing everyone they can. In the west, the mobilization drive has steadily sown panic and resentment in small agricultural towns and villages like Makiv, where residents said soldiers working for draft offices roam the near-empty streets searching for any remaining men. Such tactics have led some to believe that their men are being targeted disproportionately compared with other regions or bigger cities like Kyiv, where it is easier to hide.

Another Gaza Aid Convoy Ends in Violence, With at Least 20 Killed (NYT) For at least the second time in just over two weeks, a convoy bringing aid to hunger-stricken northern Gaza ended in bloodshed late Thursday when Palestinians were killed and wounded in an attack surrounding the trucks, according to Gazan health officials and the Israeli military, which offered divergent accounts of what happened. The Gaza Health Ministry said that at least 20 people had been killed and more than 150 injured, and it accused Israeli forces of carrying out a “targeted” attack against “a gathering of civilians waiting for humanitarian aid” near the Kuwait traffic circle in Gaza City. The Israeli military denied the allegation in a statement on Friday, blaming Palestinian gunmen and saying that an “intensive preliminary review” had determined “that no tank fire, airstrike or gunfire was carried out toward the Gazan civilians at the aid convoy.” It did not say whether Israeli forces had opened fire at all. The descriptions of chaos and violence, and the conflicting accounts for what caused it, resembled those that emerged after bloodshed in late February, when more than 100 people were killed or injured amid Israeli fire around a convoy in Gaza City.

Shabab Gunmen Penetrate Heavy Security to Besiege Hotel in Somalia (NYT) Five assailants with the terrorist group Al Shabab stormed a hotel in a highly fortified area close to Somalia’s presidential palace on Thursday night, engaging security forces for about 12 hours in sustained fighting that left three people dead and injured 27—including members of parliament—before the militants were finally killed, according to Somali officials. The attack underscored Al Shabab’s enduring capacity to stage attacks on a high-profile target in the capital, despite an aggressive counteroffensive by the Somali government, backed by the U.S. military. The militants with Al Shabab, a Qaeda-linked group, stormed the SYL Hotel in central Mogadishu after 9:30 p.m. local time, a police spokesman, Kasim Ahmed Roble, said Friday. The Shabab have been staging attacks in Somalia for more than 15 years, fighting to topple the Western-backed government and establish a state in line with their own interpretation of Islam.

Digital photo manipulation is now mainstream (AP) It’s been a common refrain when seeking proof that someone’s story or some event actually took place: “Pics, or it didn’t happen.” But in a world where the spread of technology makes photo manipulation as easy as a tap on your phone, the idea that a visual image is an absolute truth is as outdated as the daguerreotype. And a photo can sometimes raise as many questions as it was meant to answer. That was seen in recent days when controversy descended upon an image of Kate, Princess of Wales, and her three children. News agencies including The Associated Press published, then retracted, the image given out by Kensington Palace over concerns it had been manipulated, leading to Kate saying on social media that she occasionally “experimented” with photo editing. In that, she’s hardly alone. From something that was time-consuming and required a great deal of technical expertise in the days of actual film and darkrooms, digital editing has become something practically anyone can do, from adding filters to cropping images and much more. Apps abound, offering the easiest of experiences in creating and retouching photos and videos which can then be easily transmitted online and through social media.