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playmiya · 5 months ago

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ACADEMIC LIABILITY or ACADEMIC WEAPON?! — one piece in college

sanji is a hospitality major -> very obvious -> eventually wants to go to culinary school and open his own restaurant, but wants to get some work experience in and wouldn't mind working in a hotel for a year or two -> rooms with zoro; they both got randomly assigned based off signup sheets and they've been torturing the housing incharges to change ever since then -> the housing dept is so fed up with them that they're not budging just to spite them -> zoro regularly buys the wrong kinds of ingredients for him and sometimes messes with his schedules so he's late for classes -> did a semester abroad in france and is planning to do one in italy to intern under his favourite chefs -> watches and falls asleep to reruns of the great british bake off or masterchef jr. -> is a pleasure to generally have in class and submits his assignments on time except when there are any sorts of accounting/finance courses he needs to take ... pesters nami to help with those -> probably tied with chopper and robin as the people who're the most genuinely passionate about their major -> hosts sunday study sessions where everyone comes to his dorm and studies while he cooks lunch for them -> makes nami, vivi and robin bentos the days they have long classes and drops them off at their buildings -> will make people on his floor food if they ask for it -> actually not that big of a fan of huge parties but gets dragged along by luffy anyways -> 100% academic weapon

zoro is a kinesiology major -> him and ace are prolific nappers. will nap anywhere: under a tree in the quad, in the library, in classes, etc. -> that is, if zoro actually makes it to his classes in the first place, he's so directionally challenged -> took him months to figure out the campus layout, will still end up 10-15 minutes late cos he took the wrong staircase up -> mainly just spends his time sleeping in the dorm or at the gym -> very intimidating in the gym, loads of people mistake him for a varsity athlete cos he'll casually be bench pressing mad numbers -> will spot your weights and help you out if you ask tho <3 -> sanji gets back at him by playing ridiculously loud music while cooking and giving him the wrong directions -> he still has to admit that for what it's worth he keeps sanji around since he's practically memorised zoro's meal preferences and macros (sanji will sneak in some greens and sugar here and there) -> does not party often but when he does he goes beast mode, drunk zoro blushes like crazyyy -> he's a girlfailure academically though, does not keep track of his assignments, all his coursework leaves his head the minute he leaves the classroom -> gets law or chopper to help him with basic biology parts of his major -> at one point paid chopper to do his assignments but chopper was too nice and did them for free until law found out and started going on about "child labour" or something -> he's BARELY making the passing grade -> 100% academic liability nami is a business major -> IT girl!! on top of everything always -> dorms with robin, is literally living the pinterest girl aesthetic -> super organised, notes are color coded, always running around campus with her cup of coffee -> is the president of the campus's women in finance club -> summer internships, TA-ing, you name it she's doing it -> is debating going down the investment banker route because of the 6 figure salary or starting her own business -> invented office siren core. she walks into a class with pointed kitten heels bayonetta glasses and everyone loses their shit -> at the same time is a party MONSTER -> her tolerance is unlimited . got a matching tattoo with vivi and robin one night -> she ran an alcohol supplying racket in her freshman year for a quick buck but switched to more legitimate moneymaking methods in her sophmore year, she now connects students from her highschool with college mentors -> her profs love herrr she hates being called a nerd but she pre-reads all her syllabus, is ready with good questions but she's not a nerd guys!! -> is the campus cafe's best customer. will stop by at least twice a day for some sugar/coffee shot that keeps her sane -> her and robin have a wine night every week where they watch real housewives, do skincare, and catch up on each other's lives -> robin lowkey worries for her because she's very ambitious but she trusts that vivi keeps nami sane when she's not around

robin is an archaeology and history double major -> why is she even in college (is a question her professors keep asking her) -> she could teach the class! (she's assistant in every department she's taken) -> definitely taking the academia route after college, also because she's genuinely passionate about teaching -> is overqualified to even sit in introductory level courses -> has been published as an undergraduate in multiple prestigious journals for papers that she wrote because she was "just curious" -> is a part of student government -> is also a part of the campus debate union, but is not as proactive as other members (eg. luffy) -> double majoring is a breeze for her. her assignments make her professors question their ability to grade -> singlehandedly carries the class average on her back -> is idolised by underclassmen because she's very sweet and patient -> got invited to join a lot of secret societies and sororities during her freshman year but politely declined -> could honestly be successful in any major since she has a general academic knack -> wants to take a year off after college to gain on-site archaeological experience in egypt -> is the mother of the group; everyone comes to her for advice whenever they're struggling to pick classes or feeling down -> her guilty pleasure is a good matcha latte. has bought a full matcha station to perfect her own lattemaking skills -> nami took her thrifting once and now she spends hours on her weekend in shops -> doesn't like partying so is often the designated sober one along with sanji and law, will occasionally smoke with him depending on how tolerable he is -> 100% an academic weapon

a/n: i'm a big yapper so ima do ace luffy chopper and law in the pt 2 for this ⁽ଘ( ˊᵕˋ )ଓ⁾

#one piece #one piece headcanons #one piece scenarios #one piece fluff #straw hat pirates #straw hat crew #nami one piece #zoro #roronoa zoro #cat burglar nami #nico robin #sanji fluff #vinsmoke sanji #black leg sanji #one piece x reader #[ tracklisted ]#sobsobs sorry about no readmore my post editor isn't working :(

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expectopatronum18 · 3 months ago

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It's so important to me that the marauders, lily, Snape, regulus, Barty Crouch Jr and everyone from that era who joined the war are dead. It really shows the impact of the war; that entire generation was destroyed in one way or another. Harry at least had adults to support and guide him (aka ppl from the first war gen), to tell him what the war was going to be lyk and at least inform him on what to expect to some degree. The first gen had no one like this tho, everything was happening for the first time, no one even knew about something as basic as the existence of the dark marks on the DEs! They were outnumbered 20:1 and had no proper idea of what they were doing. PPL were dropping around them like flies, no one could trust each other, there was panic and fear all around, and ur loved ones could be controlled and could hurt u if they were under the imperius curse by the DEs. And all of this after they'd just graduated from high school. It's worth noting that even voldemort's indoctrination campaign was seen for the first time ever, it capitalised on pre-existing hatred and divisions in the wizarding society, thus ideologically appealing to a huge section of the society, and created a fascist movement out of it. Naturally, it's a lot for impressionable youngsters without a proper support system or any guidance to understand (tho it obvs doesn't excuse their actions, tht goes without saying). The kids who were just out of school had to be the adults there because there was no one else they could rely on; that whole generation joined to fight in the war at 17. James and lily died trying to protect their baby boy, Sirius was wrongfully convicted and chucked into azkaban, Remus lost all his friends and was all alone in the world, and Snape, despite being a literal DE at first, became a double agent....all of them were 21. Regulus died at 18 or 19 trying to bring voldemort down by discovering his horcrux. Ofc Harry was a child who was thrust into the war too, but like I said, he had adults (no matter how flawed) all the way along to love him and guide him in the right direction, so unlike the characters mentioned above (even James's and Lily's parents died before they were 21). The first generation had to face not just one but 2 wars in their lifetimes, in both of which they were principal actors. Ultimately it's important that none of them made it out alive (if u ignore characters like avery or muliciber who are mentioned only a couple of times). The war was already going on (not on a large scale yet) when they were in school, they practically grew up with it and died because of it. Unlike with Harry's generation, the war completely wiped them all out. Imo Rowling really toned it down in Harry's generation coz the books were written for children, but she pulled no punches with the first war generation, which is probably what makes their story so much more interesting to the majority of us.

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kurffufle · 9 months ago

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Outsiders parents/backstory hc

Also tw: abuse,alcoholism,hoarding,and death via cancer (not super graphic descriptions but still worth a tw)

Curtis brothers

So we all know what happened to their parents and we kinda have a general idea of what they were like before they died

BUT I still have like one hc for them and it's abt their names

So Darrel Curtis is obviously named after his father and one day as ms.curtis is like 4-6 moths pregnant she asks Darrell jr (at abt 5 years old) what they should name his baby brother and Darrel just looking at the first thing he sees exclaims "soda pop!"

And after sodas born and his mom is pregnant with her third child asks soda (once again only at 3 years old and having developed a pony and horse obsession) what to name his new baby brother and soda just said "hmmmm Ponyboy"

And the Curtis brothers joke and tease eachother abt how they picked out eachothers names

Johnny

Once again we kinda already know everything abt his parents but I still have one😭

He had a pet rabbit with dark black fur and floppy ears as a child and his parents got rid of it because they got tired of it and annoyed that their son had his own companion

Johnny does still hold a grudge against his parents for it

Steve

I think in the book it's sorta hinted at that his dad doesn't really like him because he keeps getting kicked out

I hc that his dad's abusive and his wife left him for it and he only got worse from there

Steve still has to deal with it though

His dad isn't a full alcoholic he just has crazy mood swings and some days he's actually a semi friendly guy but other days he's just awful

Two bit

I think it's hinted at in the movie(???) that his moms a hoarder because his house is a mess and his mom would have a fit if he ever cleaned up his house

So I'm just running along with that here

In case you aren't familiar with hoarding the main cause of it is usually a life changing event like someone dying or abandoning you

So I think either his father left or died to make his mom spiral into hoarding

Dallas

Ok now we're getting really in depth with this one

We know Dallas grew up in New York and I'm gonna say he moved to Oklahoma when he was 12-15

I think his father was a pretty normal guy aside from being VERY homophobic (like that's a main part of his personality) New York is a little more accepting of gay ppl but he really wanted to make sure his son (Dallas) didn't grow up to be queer and instilled a strong sense of internalized homophobia within his kid

His mother died of skin cancer and after that the next few months his father became neglectful

One day his father just decides he can't live in New York and needs to go down south(note that his dad did not pick this location because of his homophobia)

And off Dallas went to Tulsa Oklahoma

His dad (having experienced a dead wife and major life change) took all of his untreated trauma out on his kid

Right as Dallas turned 17 he made it a goal to get out of his house and stop speaking to his father

He started talking more with Buck and spending more time with him and eventually just moved into a guest bedroom upstairs

He does not speak to his father at all anymore and he's proud of it

#lgbtq #the outsiders #the outsiders (1983)#ponyboy curtis #dallas winston #johnny cade #sodapop curtis #two bit mathews #darrel curtis #steve randle

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dreaminginthedeepsouth · 2 years ago

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Max Gustafson

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

March 12, 2023

Heather Cox Richardson

At 6:15 this evening, Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen, Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome H. Powell, and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Chairman Martin J. Gruenberg announced that Secretary Yellen has signed off on measures to enable the FDIC to fully protect everyone who had money in Silicon Valley Bank, Santa Clara, California, and Signature Bank, New York. They will have access to all of their money starting Monday, March 13. None of the losses associated with this resolution, the statement said, “will be borne by the taxpayer.”

But, it continued, “Shareholders and certain unsecured debtholders will not be protected. Senior management has also been removed. Any losses to the Deposit Insurance Fund to support uninsured depositors will be recovered by a special assessment on banks, as required by law.”

The statement ended by assuring Americans that “the U.S. banking system remains resilient and on a solid foundation, in large part due to reforms that were made after the financial crisis that ensured better safeguards for the banking industry. Those reforms combined with today's actions demonstrate our commitment to take the necessary steps to ensure that depositors' savings remain safe.”

It’s been quite a weekend.

On Friday, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) failed in the largest bank failure since 2008. At the end of December 2022, SVB appears to have had about $209 billion in total assets and about $175 billion in deposits. This made SVB the sixteenth largest bank in the U.S., big in its sector but small compared with the more than $3 trillion JPMorgan Chase. This is the first bank failure of the Biden presidency (while Donald Trump Jr. tweeted that he had not heard of any bank failures during his father’s presidency, there were sixteen, eight of which happened before the pandemic). In fact, generally, a few banks fail every year; it is an oddity that none failed in 2021 or 2022.

The failure of SVB created shock waves for three reasons. First, SVB was the major bank for technology start-ups, so it involved much of a single sector of the economy. Second, only about $8 billion of the $173 billion worth of deposits in SVB were less than the $250,000 that the FDIC insures, meaning that the companies who had made those deposits might not get their money back quickly and thus might not be able to make payrolls, sparking a larger crisis. Third, there was concern that the problems that plagued SVB might cause other banks to fail, as well.

What seems to have happened, though, appears to be specific to SVB. Bloomberg’s Matt Levine explained it most clearly:

As the bank for start-ups, which have a lot of cash from investors and the initial public offering of stock, SVB had lots of deposits. But start-up companies don’t need much in the way of loans because they’ve just gotten so much cash and they don’t yet have fixed assets. So, rather than balancing deposits with loans that fluctuate with interest rates and thus keep a bank on an even keel, SVB’s directors took a gamble that the Federal Reserve would not raise interest rates. They invested in long-term Treasury bonds that paid better interest rates than short-term securities. But when, in fact, interest rates went up, the value of those long-term bonds sank.

For most banks, higher interest rates are good news because they can charge more for loans. But for SVB, they hurt.

Then, because SVB concentrated on start-ups, they had another problem. Start-ups are also hurt by rising interest rates because they tend to promise to deliver returns in the long term, which is fine so long as interest rates stay steadily low, as they have been now for years. But as interest rates go up, investors tend to like faster returns than most start-ups can deliver. They take their money to places that are going to see returns sooner. For SVB, that meant their depositors began to need some of that money they had dumped into the bank and started to withdraw their deposits.

So SVB sold securities at a loss to cover those deposits. Other investors panicked as they saw SVB selling at a loss and losing deposits, and they, too, started yanking their money out of the bank, collapsing it. Banks that have a more diverse client base are less likely to lose everyone all at once.

The FDIC took control of the bank on Friday. On Sunday, regulators also shut down Signature Bank, based in New York, which was a major bank for the cryptocurrency industry. Another crypto-friendly bank, Silvergate, failed last week.

Congress created the FDIC under the Banking Act of 1933 to restore trust in the American banking system after more than a third of U.S. banks failed after the Great Crash of 1929, sparking runs on banks as depositors rushed to take out their money whenever rumors suggested a bank was in trouble, thus causing more failures. The FDIC is an independent agency that insures deposits, examines and supervises banks to make sure they’re healthy, and manages the fallout when they’re not. The FDIC is backed by the full faith and credit of the government, but it is not funded by the government. Member banks pay insurance dues to cover bank failures, and when that isn’t enough money, the FDIC can borrow from the federal government or issue debt.

Over the weekend, the crisis at SVB became a larger argument over the role of government in the protection of the economy. Tech leaders took to social media to insist that the government must cover all the deposits in the failed bank, not just the ones covered under FDIC. They warned that the companies whose deposits were uninsured would fail, taking down the rest of the economy with them.

Others noted that the very men who were arguing the government should protect all the depositors’ money, not just that protected under the FDIC, have been vocal in opposing both government regulation of their industry and government relief for student loan debt, suggesting that they hate government action…except for themselves. They also pointed out that in 2018, under Trump, Congress weakened government regulations for banks like SVB and that SVB’s president had been a leading advocate for weakening those regulations. Had those regulations been in place, they argue, SVB would have remained solvent.

It appears that Yellen, Powell, and Gruenberg, in consultation with the president (as required), concluded that the collapse of SVB and Signature Bank was a systemic threat to the nation’s whole financial system, or perhaps they concluded that the panic over that collapse—which is a different thing than the collapse itself—was a threat to the nation’s financial system. They apparently decided to backstop the banks to prevent more damage. But they are eager to remind people that they are not using taxpayer money to shore up a poorly managed bank.

Right now, this appears to leave us with two takeaways. The Biden administration had been considering tightening the banking regulations that were loosened under Trump, and it seems likely that the need for the federal government to step in to protect the depositors at SVB and Signature Bank will make it much harder for those opposed to regulation to keep that from happening. There will likely be increased pressure on the Biden administration to guard against helping out the wealthy and corporations rather than ordinary Americans.

And, perhaps even more important, the weekend of panic and fear over the collapse of just one major bank should make it clear that the Republicans’ threat to default on the U.S. debt, thus pulling the rug out from under the entire U.S. economy unless they get their way, is simply unthinkable.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

#Finance #the economy #Heather Cox Richardson #Letters From An American #Banking regulation #bank collapse #bank failure #Max Gustafson #debt #student loan debt #venture capitalists

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the-last-dillpickle · 2 years ago

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DS9 trivia from IMDB - Part 4

- Military ranks used in Star Trek are all based upon actual military ranks. Starfleet ranks are those of the US Navy: Ensign, Lieutenant Junior Grade, Lieutenant, Lieutenant Commander, Commander, Captain, Commodore, Rear Admiral, Vice Admiral, and Admiral. Bajoran ranks are the same as those used in the U.S. Army, Air Force, and Marines: Lieutenant, Major, Lieutenant Colonel (or, as the Bajorans call it, "Field Colonel"), Colonel, and General. (Kira, after her promotion, was referred to simply as "Colonel", but she was promoted two steps in rank at once.) Klingon ranks are "bekk" (an enlisted rating), Ensign, Lieutenant, Commander, Captain, Colonel, Brigadier, General, and Admiral. Cardassian ranks are based on those of the ancient Roman Empire: Gil (equivalent to a Starfleet/U.S. Naval Lieutenant), Glinn (Commander), Gul (Captain), and Legate (Admiral).

- The Maquis was the name of the French resistance fighters during World War II.

- Lit Star Trek model kit parts can be seen as medical instruments throughout the series. In one episode, Dr. Bashir uses a part that makes up a Romulan Warbird engine nacelle to scan or heal.

- As he had on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987), Q was intended to make semi-regular appearances on this show, but appeared only in season one, episode seven, "Q-Less". Q instead would come to continue his appearances on Star Trek: Voyager (1995). In addition, producers announced Whoopi Goldberg would reprise her role as Guinan in a guest appearance or two, and intended to have Leonard Nimoy appear as Spock, but the plans never materialized. Some other recurring characters from The Next Generation would wind up making appearances on this show, however, including Vash (Jennifer Hetrick), Lwaxana Troi (Majel Barrett), Gowron (Robert O'Reilly), Worf's brother Kurn (Tony Todd) and the Duras Sisters (Barbara March and Gwynyth Walsh).

- The design of Ops incorporates ideas that were considered, but dropped for The Bridge on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987), such as the upper level office, the briefing table in the center of the room, and the transporter being built into the set.

- Quark and Odo were intended to be the 'Bones and Spock' of Deep Space Nine, the two crew members who were always at odds with each other. However, because Armin Shimerman and Rene Auberjonois spent so many hours together in make-up, they became such good friends that Shimerman felt that their fondness for each other seeped through in the later seasons, despite their best efforts.

- The uniforms initially worn on this show were designed to look different from those worn on its parent show, Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987), with a colored shoulder and a gray undershirt. Beginning with the movie Star Trek: Generations (1994), however, these new uniforms were adopted by Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) crew, and Starfleet as a whole. This change was made when a new style of uniform designed for Star Trek: Generations (1994) was rejected. From the mid fifth season of this show and Star Trek: First Contact (1996) another type of uniform was issued by Starfleet (now with gray shoulders and colored undershirt), while Star Trek: Voyager (1995) (having no way of knowing about the change) retained the earlier version, distinguishing the two series from each other again. It is also worth mentioning that the DS9-style uniforms are very similar to the ones worn by Starfleet cadets in The Next Generation, most notably in season five, episode nineteen, "The First Duty".

- The square glasses used in Quark's bar are actually candle holders turned upside down.

- The character that eventually became Vic Fontaine was written for Frank Sinatra Jr. in season four. Sinatra, despite being a fan of the show, turned it down, declaring that he only wanted to play an alien. After meeting with Robert Goulet, and attempting to get Steve Lawrence, Tom Jones, and Jerry Vale, the producers eventually considered James Darren for season six, and invited him to audition. However, Darren wasn't interested in a singing role, so he didn't read the script sent to him. On the day of auditions, producer Ira Steven Behr was discussing Darren with a few crew members, sharing his doubts whether Darren would actually show up. One of those crew members happened to be Christian Darren, James' son, who told Behr that his father was actually coming over that afternoon: James' wife had convinced him to at least go to the audition. Darren eventually accepted the role, and appeared in eight episodes.

- Buck Bokai's baseball card, a collectable featured on Benjamin Sisko's desk, had Keone Young on the front, in character, but showed "Trek" model maker Gregory Jein, who invented the "history" of the character, on the back. The pair bore an uncanny resemblance to each other.

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saturniandevil · 2 years ago

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2023 Important Dates

AKA my notes on The Astrology Podcast’s 2023 Forecast_, hosted by Chris Brennan, Austin Coppock, Leisa Schaim and Diana Rose Parker. As a recap of previous events our hosts connect recent AI art controversies to Venus squaring Neptune (artists vs illusions), and predicts that the Pluto in Aquarius transit will intensify these debates. Saturn in late Aquarius has seen the first successful energy-emitting controlled nuclear fusion reaction, and Austin points out that new technologies often take around 30 years, or a complete Saturn cycle, to show up in everyday life.

Major Transits

Mars Retrograde -stations direct January 12th -egress to Taurus March 25th

Saturn from Aquarius -> Pisces -ingress March 7th -begins conjunction with Neptune In the writing previous runs of Saturn in Pisces have shown us influential fantasy worlds like those of Dune (without which there’d be no Star Wars) in the mid-1960s and A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) in the 1990s, as well as nonfiction like The Communist Manifesto in the 1840s. Saturn in Pisces has also shown up in drug news, such as the synthesis of LSD, which may connect to psychedelics starting to be legalized for therapeutic use today. If these significations seem Neptunian, that’s because Saturn is copresent with Neptune in this sign. They’ll be within orb in 2025 and '26, going exact in February of 2026. This sign will also be the Saturn return of Amazon and Fox News, and in biology that of the successful cloning of Dolly the sheep. In natal charts we have the examples of Robert Downey, Jr., whose Saturn return marked a turning point in his substance use issues and career, and Rachel Carson, a biologist whose book about the effects of pesticides in our world helped launch an environmentalist movement. In general we can expect “problems with chemicals.” Pisces wants us to all be one, but Saturn reminds us how one part is hurting people more than others.

How do you put boundaries on the boundless? You may feel like you’re floating, but even the ocean has a floor. Diana predicts we may see more collective grief over lost loved ones or what could have been during the height of the pandemic. It’s also worth noting that Saturn has been in his own domicile for the last few years. Now he’s ruled by Jupiter, who will be in a different sign every year, lending a different quality to Saturn’s transit.

Pluto in Aquarius (March 23rd - June 11th) A previous example of this transit is the Luddite movement against both the technology and labor conditions of the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th century. Austin predicts this to weigh on the AI conversation and Diana brings up that the recent labor movement will also factor in. Chris reminds us that Pluto takes the tiniest things and blow them up to wide importance. Pluto in Aquarius coincided with the Hatian and French Revolutions as well.

Jupiter in Aries until May 16th -in Taurus for rest of the year -begins conjunction to Uranus Jupiter immediately squares Pluto (0♒) when he enters this sign. Jupiter-Pluto contacts have shown us billionaires further expanding their wealth and explosions of conspiracy theories in recent years. Revolutions and movements questioning the good of the people & basic needs will be especially relevant in Taurus. Jupiter predicts cultural waves in both art and politics, which will be especially relevant now that he’s ruled by Venus. Similarly, Diana hopes we see new food inventions such as advances with fake meats (M&M’s were invented during the last Jupiter-Uranus conjunction in Taurus). Jupiter will come in and confirm things that Uranus has been working on, such as the rising labor movement (40 hour work week was standardized under one). In this case, the innovation is rest.

Venus Retrograde in Leo (July 22nd - September 3rd)

Venus transits are on cycles of about 8 years, so expect to revisit themes from around 2014. The US Supreme court legalizing same-sex marriage (conjunct Jupiter), and our podcast hosts started working together. Are any important relationships coming up on 8 years? (Austin, who met his wife and later got married on Venus in Leo, jokingly recommends waiting a full Venus cycle to commit). Shortly after entering Leo, Venus squares Jupiter and approaches Mars--but slows down and retrogrades before overcoming him (unlike in 2020). This retrograde is also tinged by a square to Uranus, though Jupiter’s copresence may stabilize things a bit. Sense of self will be a key theme here, especially in relationships. After the rx, when she enters Virgo early in October, where Saturn in Pisces will hit her like a cold bucket of water.

Eclipses shift from Taurus/Scorpio axis to Aries/Libra axis

Month-by-Month:

January

The Mars retrograde and direct station on the 12th hangs pretty heavily over this January. Mars is supercharged by the fact that royal star Aldebaran is nearby, which can bode better for personal charts than world news. However, keep in mind that the effects will move more slowly, and that a direct Mars is still a malefic--we march forward, but into battle just yet. Expect conclusions or major turning points in conflicts that began at the retrograde's start in early October. We'll still be seeing some cleanup as he enters the post shadow period (leaves degrees he retrograded over) on the 15th. Here's the graphic from Stella on Reddit:

Mar's ruler Mercury is also retrograde going into January, and stations on the 18th. It's almost like Mars won't be fully direct until Mercury is too. It might not be fun to cut things off, but it's better than flailing around wildly with the knife. Once both these planets are direct, Jupiter in Aries will pick up a lot of momentum. The Mercury retrogrades this year will mainly occur in earth signs, so prepare to reevaluate the material realms in your life.

It's also worth noting that the US Pluto return goes exact a few days before 2023 starts, and Pluto will return to these degrees when retrograding in September. With a conjunction to Mercury we can expect to see more disclosures around hidden information about those in power.

Speaking of outer planets, the Saturn (♒)-Uranus (♉) square that's been plaguing us for the past couple years will finally fade as we enter the year. The conflict of chaos & order over society and basic needs will finally fade. With Saturn in Pisces, no one's in control!

We've got an electional chart for January 25, 2023 at about 7:20AM local time. Adjust until the rising is at about 5 degrees of Aquarius, putting the Sun right on the Ascendant. This is one of the last charts for great Saturn elections for the next 30 years or so, as he's in domicile, in the first house and of the favored sect. Great for technology, rapid communications, and endeavors that will start out slow but last for a long time. Venus in the first house will help smooth over the aesthetics of this election as well. Here is the circle chart for Denver below:

February

Valentine's Day is a little weird with Moon opposite Mars, followed by a Venus-Neptune conjunction the next day and a Saturn-Sun conjunction even after, where emotional conflict runs into idealistic dreams, which is soon crushed by reality. The Full Moon on February 5th at 16 Leo close to Uranus at 15 Taurus activates the last of that waning Saturn-Uranus square, while the Saturn-Sun square on the 16th is the last Sun-Saturn conjunction in a Saturn-ruled sign for the next couple decades. We can clearly assess what's real and make a final inspection of the wreckage from Saturn-Uranus's stress-testing. Whatever made it through the Aquarius part of your chart has a lot of endurance.

March

March calendar. 3/2 Venus conjunct Jupiter, Mercury to Pisces. 3/5 Saturn to Pisces, Virgo full moon. 3/15 Sun conjunct Neptune, 3/16 Venus to Taurus, 3/17 Sun conjunct Mercury. 3/19 Mercury to Aries, 3/20 Sun to Aries, 3/21 Aries New Moon. 3/23 Pluto to Aquarius, 3/25 Mars to Cancer, 3/28 Mercury conjunct Jupiter, 3/30 Venus conjunct Uranus.

March is a big, dynamic month full of shifts. Mars (♊) leaves the mutable signs alone and tags in Saturn (♓) to do so instead. Medieval and Arabic astrologers often counted the Sun's ingress into Aries as the start of the New Year for the world, which fits with this month bringing so many new beginnings. We're going to get two New Moons during Aries season, one of which is an eclipse, so expect a lot of Aries energy. Around the Ides of March we've got Mercury conjoining Neptune at 25 Pisces, then the Sun, with Mars at 25 Pisces squaring them, al while Venus in late Aries square Pluto in late Capricorn. These transits also highlight the third Mars-Neptune square of the latter's trek through Gemini--it's our last chance to reveal what's been murky before Mars leaves his shadow period and the sign of Gemini overall. Mars-Gemini gives us fighting words and Mars-Neptune gives us deception, so be careful where you step in the fog of war.

Mercury is doing pretty badly at the beginning of the month, being combust, squared by Mars, and stuck around Neptune--our intelligence reports will not be accurate or timely. The next week Pluto moves into Aquarius. Chris wonders if this may result in a mass disappearing of certain kinds of technology. This area of Aquarius has seen a lot of activity from Saturn and Jupiter in recent years, and Pluto will deepen those issues for a couple months before retrograding in the fall. Venus will conjoin Uranus on the degree of November's eclipse in Taurus, which can make relationships more exciting. Mars moves into Cancer, trining Saturn on the 29th-30th. It's not a particularly glorious place for Mars, but we're finally getting back to Mars as usual (direct). We may be sullen, but at least we're not shooting ourselves in the foot anymore.

April

This month gives us eclipse season and the second Mercury retrograde of year. We also get a Jupiter-Sun cazimi in Aries, resetting the Jupiter cycle for the next year. The hybrid solar eclipse eclipse will be annular for some regions and total for others (visible over the South Pacific, mostly). Here are the eclipses for 2023:

Both eclipse seasons go back and forth between the Aries-Libra and Taurus-Scorpio axis as the nodes move. Additionally, the spring eclipses are in Mars-ruled signs with Mars in Cancer, while the fall eclipses are ruled by Venus in Virgo. Thus we're moving from one Mars-Venus axis to another, with the eclipse ruler in either fall or detriment. In personal charts, this will be highlighting two sets of houses for us all. Once April 19th or so comes around, we'll find ourselves between eclipses with Mercury retrograde and Jupiter joining the North Node--a bit of a hangover from the Uranus in Taurus issues we've been seeing. Definitely expect more shipping and supply chain issues. Mercury's retrograde cycle will continue through to the next month.

May

The first of the month gives us the Mercury cazimi, which is a halfway point & turning point for the retrograde. With Pluto's station, we've got a lot of changes occurring in May. The eclipse is at 14 Scorpio, echoing the previous Uranus eclipse in November in Taurus. However, this is the final eclipse in Scorpio (though there's one more in Taurus) for the next few years. We'd expect the pressure to ease from fixed signs now that heavy-hitters are moving into mutable and cardinal signs, but the fixed signs are still feeling some residual effects for the first half of the year. Jupiter ingress will attempt to stabilize some of the trouble as he enters Taurus. His squaring Pluto and later Mars in Leo will bring some tension as well, though. Diana thinks of forest fires with Mars in Leo, with Pluto in Aquarius serving as a sudden gust of wind. Jupiter is on the North Node as well, who'll cooperate with Jovian money endeavors but not his loftier pursuits. Pay attention to which house of your chart Jupiter enters, as he may provide some stability to the rockiness we've been seeing in Taurus since the lunar eclipse in fall of 2021.

When Jupiter conjoined Pluto in 2020 there was a massive expansion of wealth for the already wealthy, and now with a square between the planets we could see a more proletarian version of wealth expanding (or at least some kind of struggle around it). Pluto's station in Aquarius should also give us a picture of his trek through this sign over the next decade or so. Conversations around control and manipulation of information may arise, which Chris connects to social media as one of the richest men in the world just bought a widely used website. Diana brings up that these apps are often intentionally designed to encourage addictive behavior, so Pluto's compulsions and obsessions and tendency to expose the dark underbelly will manifest in the tech world. We may see a contraction in tech, as issues of power and control over social networks and other large scale communications arise. Is this paranoia or rational fear?

June

Venus now enters sign in which she will retrograde, hinting at the territory we'll visit multiple times. She's approaching Mars and opposite Pluto, intensifying relationship dynamics. However she's also applying to Jupiter in her sign of Taurus, stabilizing things a little. Venus and Mars will square Uranus together before she retrogrades. Meanwhile Neptune and Saturn slow down and station, bringing emotional drag as they square our chipper Gemini Sun. When Saturn enters Cancer, the sextile to Jupiter in Taurus may bring some fertile clay for creative, sensitive, or peaceful endeavors. The overall energy is pretty loud and extroverted: if people find something distasteful, they won't be quiet about it! However, we may not see the stormy emotional undercurrents underneath this acting out.

July

Venus will square Uranus at the beginning of this month, slowing down before going retrograde on the 22nd. Mercury enters Virgo, heightening the tension between Saturn (♓) and Mars (♊). Mars-Saturn squares in the fixed signs gave us new editions of a problem we already knew about (notably changes in lockdowns and restrictions during peaks of the pandemic in the US), but in mutable signs we may get introduced to new problems nearby. Either way, Saturn stonewalls Mars's impulses. Saturn and Mars get frustrated because one's hitting the gas while the other hits the brakes, but Venus stops the car entirely and starts driving in reverse towards unfinished business earlier in the trip. Pluto will also square the Nodes in Aries/Libra after regressing into Pluto. Chris points out that gay marriage was legalized in the US under Venus in Leo, so this retrograde may see challenges to Congress's recent Defense of Marriage Act. She's also stationing right next to Lilith and considering Pluto's activity, so Austin predicts abortion will come up again, as Lilith was right over the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

August

Venus retrograde hangs over this month, although her cazimi on the 13th marks its halfway point. Inanna confronts her sister in the underworld and begins to get carried out. Venus emerges from under the beams right as she squares supportive Jupiter. Mercury begins to slow down and stations retrograde with Mars as a neighbor. Constructively, we can edit and cut things down, but interpersonally we may share harsh words. The Full Moon in Pisces will be tinged by Saturn's copresence, especially because it occurs on the degree on which Saturn stationed in June. We get a taste of what Pisces is going to feel like for the next few years, though Jupiter's sextile immediately after provides some support. It's soggy and wet, but we can grow things.

September

Mercury is the only planet in domicile for the whole month: retrograde the first half and direct for the second. With exaltation in Virgo as well, he's at his loudest! Mars is also in Libra as we enter the month, approaching a square to Pluto and a conjunction to the South Node (Tail of the Dragon) towards the end of the month, as well as a sextile to Venus. The Aries Full Moon will be eventful as a result of all this Mars activity.

October

We've got two eclipses this month as we revisit Pluto in Capricorn themes (including the founding of the US--think bones of the institutions that built the nation). Mars conjoins the South Node in the days preceding the eclipse, and squares Pluto days before he stations direct. Venus in Virgo makes us eager to critique, which is especially relevant to the US's upcoming elections season. The eclipses in Libra and Taurus will also bring major beginnings and endings to these areas of our charts. The solar eclipse at 21 Libra is a South node eclipse, which usually brings up things we've already dealt with--think "the unquiet dead." The Taurus eclipse right before Halloween has Mercury conjunct Mars opposite Jupiter. Mercury-Mars can be combative with piercing words. They will spitefully challenge the peace, stability, and excessive comfort Jupiter in Taurus has been trying to bring. However, this is the last of the fixed sign eclipses that started in 2021, bringing a major ending to that chapter of our lives. There's one more wild card with Jupiter approaching Uranus, but it's a more constructive energy, like finally being able to implement the changes we want.

November

This new Moon is the first one for awhile that's not an eclipse, and Saturn's significations in Pisces should intensify as he stations direct. Venus in Libra sextile Mercury in Sagittarius will bring us some pleasant communications and decorum. "I didn't mean what I said when Mercury was conjunct Mars!" Mars's cazimi with the Sun acts like a coal nearby that's glowing with the potential for a fire that isn't burning right now--at least until he opposes Uranus, when the tension that's been building up may find an outlet. The Mars cazimi is also trine Neptune, which may add some ease.

December

Mercury will station direct a few days after Jupiter--things will move forward at the end of the year. Venus in Sagittarius and Jupiter in Taurus will be in mutual reception with each other, bringing the two goods to us after some brooding in Scorpio. During Venus in Scorpio we might get the kinds of fights started by someone misunderstanding what your words--you can't take back what you didn't say! The tight opposition to Jupiter at the beginning of Venus in Scorpio can be fun, if not particularly useful. A trine from Saturn can make Scorpio Venus's obsessions more productive.

And that's a wrap for 2023! Thanks for reading all of this (:

#astrology #forecast #2023 #mars retrograde #saturn in pisces #pluto in aquarius

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sylvyspritii · 2 years ago

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Super Mario Bros Movie, full review

Spoilers of course Let's start out with the positives: +The 3D models and effects in general were top notch, they were very good +There were a lot of fun references that i personally enjoyed, but fanservice doesn't nessecarily make it good of course +Bowser in general, and Jack Black did a great job +The music was good and i loved recognising the leitmotifs (we'll get into the uncredited composers controversy later) Now for the negatives; - There are A LOT of lore incosistencies, let's start; 1. Mario should've already know who Cranky Kong is, because Cranky Kong is the original Donkey Kong, and Donkey Kong is Donkey Kong Jr. , so this means that the timeline is totally jumbled here 2. In the movie, Peach says she is not sure where she is from, and that the Toad's "made her a princess", and calls Mario "a human", yet in Yoshi's Island DS, Peach was already a princess as a baby 3. Pauline is the major of New York City, yet in the games, she is the major of New Donk City and is in the "Mario world", but in this movie, she is a real world character 4. Multiple other lore incosistencies - There are A LOT of plotholes, let's start; 1. In the beginning, New York City is being flooded with water, yet Mario fails to fix it before he goes to the "Mario world", this is never elaborated on later when they return to the real world at the end, and all the water is just gone 2. Multiple other plotholes - The fact that they acted like their accents were "fake" is stupid, the voices of Charles Martinet are classic and iconic and should be respected, i think it's very stupid that they acted like these iconic voices were an "act", even though this is the only piece of Mario media ever where they claim such a thing - Most of the voice actors except for Jack Black did a bad job capturing the spirit of the characters, they felt more like Hollywood celeberties being used to gain attention for mainstream audiences, rather than real voice actors, this is very noticeable in their quality, they sound very generic (again, except for Jack Black), the Luigi voice actor did slightly okay though - The end of the movie was rather vague, did the "Mario world" merge with the real world? (because of all the mushrooms) - They didn't credit MULTIPLE composers! As a composer myself, i find this to be incredibly insulting and dissrespectful, the credits merely say that all the original Mario songs were composed by Koji Kondo, this is not true! There are many songs in this movie that were arranged from the compositions of David Wise, Grant Kirkhope, and many others (such as the Mario Galaxy composers) - The amount of licensed mainstream music really annoyed me, it had nothing to do with Mario, the Mario series has a super big catalogue of amazing music, and yet they frequently use licensed mainstream music instead of the iconic Mario songs (for example they use licensed music TWO times during Mario Kart segments alone), a typical Hollywoodisation to appeal to mainstream audiences and boomers with "80's nostalgia", yet Mario himself is from the 80's too, they could've easily just used more of the classic and iconic Mario compositions instead - A lot of other things i forgot about I choose to interpret this movie as non-canon to the Mario lore because of its many lore incosistencies (and stupid decisions like saying the accents are "fake") So there you have it, overall, i'd say it was a fun movie with very obvious flaws, a typical Hollywoodisation of a beloved property, a "turn your brain off" movie that is merely for 90 minutes of fun but nothing worth remembering (7.5/10)

#mario movie #review #mario #movie

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inelegantsquid · 2 months ago

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Akshuallyyyy, JR East and Central are profitable operationally (primarily through the Shinkansen services). I think JR West is also. Kyushu, Hokkaido, Shikoku and JR Freight are not profitable, and will never be, but despite this, are under constant pressures to rationalise, cut and abolish. Since the privatisation in 1987, Hokkaido has shed 2/3 of its network, and closures have continued to this day. Service frequencies are also not that good on many lines, and often subject to cuts. The governments pro-car agenda prevails and new motorways are constantly approved as railways close and use dwindles (motorways that, too, will never make up for their costs, obviously). There is a concern that the new dumb Chuo shinkansen, the maglev between Tokyo and Nagoya, will decimate JRC's profitability by reducing the ridership on the Tokaido Shinkansen and in turn funnelling it into the more expensive system. While Europe saw most of its railway cutbacks in the years from 1950 to 1980, and thereafter often stopped closures and even restored some lines, this is not true in Japan; the closures dramatically increased at this date, because prior to this, the LDP leaderships generally used the railways as a developmental tool. The various Beeching axes prepared at various times in the 1960's and 70's were ignored, and new rural line construction continued until the 1977 stoppage.

It's worth noting that the Japanese state railways in 1984 was, on the whole, profitable (after debt transfers to the central government done as a preparation for the eventual privatisation). But the anti-labour Nakazone government was determined to crush the unions, and the way to do this was by splitting and privatising the undertaking (this was the intentional purpose). Tens of thousands of workers were blacklisted for being in unions and were refused rehiring by the new private companies (that did remain state owned for a while--indeed, the unprofitable ones remain majority state owned because no one wants to buy.)

Several of the private commuter railways are, however, also not profitable in operations, and make most of their income from retail and property stuff adjacent to the railways--like Odakyu and Seibu. As a general rule, long-distance services are more likely to be operationally profitable than commuter services.

In short, Japan's railways are in a death spiral of rationalisation, outside of Tokyo and Osaka.

People who talk about what population density is necessary to "justify" a rail system are wrong but they're wrong in the opposite way from how they think. Even in Japan which has more than twice the population density of China the rail system is not profitable. JR makes most of its profit by operating malls and collecting rent from vendors. If you blindly follow profit instead of considering the broader social benefits the result will always be putting your rail system into a death spiral of rationalization. Stop expecting public transport to turn a profit that's not what it exists for.

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footballmedia09 · 20 days ago

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Richest football player

Football, also known as soccer in some parts of the world, is not just a sport; it's a global phenomenon. With millions of fans, lucrative sponsorship deals, and massive broadcasting rights, it has created some of the wealthiest athletes on the planet. In recent years, one name often surfaces when discussing the richest football player in the world: Cristiano Ronaldo. However, new entrants like Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr., and even up-and-coming young talents are also making a significant impact on the financial leaderboard. Let’s dive into who the richest football player is and the factors that contribute to such vast wealth.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo: The King of Football Wealth

As of 2024, Cristiano Ronaldo is consistently ranked as one of the richest football players in the world. The Portuguese star, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers in history, has built a fortune estimated at over $1 billion. What sets Ronaldo apart is his ability to generate income not only through his football career but also through a variety of other ventures.

Football Earnings:

Ronaldo has played for some of the biggest football clubs, including Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, and Al-Nassr. His on-field salary remains among the highest, with lucrative contracts that continue to elevate his earnings. His most recent move to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia is estimated to bring him $200 million annually, making it one of the most lucrative sports contracts in history.

Endorsements and Investments:

Beyond football, Ronaldo is an endorsement machine. His partnerships with brands such as Nike, Herbalife, and CR7, his own fashion brand, have contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to his fortune. Additionally, Ronaldo has smartly invested in real estate, gyms, hotels, and even a private jet business, further boosting his net worth.

2. Lionel Messi: The Argentinian Magician

Not far behind Ronaldo is Lionel Messi, another football legend. Messi's wealth, which is also estimated to be in the billion-dollar range, comes from a combination of his wages and endorsements. The Argentine genius, known for his mesmerizing dribbling and playmaking ability, has spent the majority of his career at FC Barcelona before a move to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and, later, Inter Miami.

Salary and Contracts:

At Barcelona, Messi earned a record-breaking salary, which peaked at over $600,000 per week. His transfer to PSG saw him continue to command substantial wages. While at Inter Miami, Messi’s salary remains significant, but it’s his involvement with Apple TV’s MLS deal and endorsements that keep his fortune growing.

Endorsements:

Messi’s endorsements include major brands such as Adidas, Pepsi, and Mastercard, and they remain a critical part of his financial empire. In addition to his earnings on the pitch, Messi's off-field ventures in fashion, luxury goods, and real estate have ensured his financial portfolio remains diverse.

3. Neymar Jr.: The Brazilian Superstar

Rounding out the list of the richest football players is Neymar Jr., the Brazilian forward who is one of the highest-paid footballers in the world. With an estimated net worth of around $300 million, Neymar’s wealth continues to rise thanks to his high-profile transfers, commercial deals, and his brand appeal.

PSG and Al-Hilal Salaries:

Neymar’s transfer from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 for a world-record €222 million not only cemented his position as a global superstar but also ensured he commanded one of the highest salaries in football. After moving to Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia in 2023, his salary reportedly exceeds $200 million per season.

Endorsements:

Like Ronaldo and Messi, Neymar’s wealth is significantly boosted by endorsement deals with companies like Puma, Red Bull, and Qatar Airways. Neymar is a cultural icon, leveraging his image both in and out of football to maintain his financial standing.

4. Young Footballers and Future Richest Players

With the emergence of new stars such as Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, and Vinícius Júnior, the race to be the richest football player is only getting more competitive. Mbappé, in particular, has turned down multiple offers from other clubs to stay with PSG, where his salary is among the highest in football. His future deals, along with endorsements from Nike and EA Sports, position him to potentially surpass current titans like Ronaldo and Messi in the future.

5. Wealth Beyond the Pitch: Investments and Business Ventures

What truly sets these footballers apart is their ability to capitalize on their fame beyond the game. Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar, and others have all diversified their income streams through investments in real estate, technology, fashion, and sports-related businesses. Ronaldo’s CR7 brand is a perfect example of how a footballer can transition from athlete to global entrepreneur.

In conclusion, while footballers like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Neymar Jr. currently dominate the list of the world’s richest players, the future holds many opportunities for younger talents to join the ranks of football’s elite earners. With lucrative contracts, endorsement deals, and smart investments, the wealth of these athletes continues to grow, solidifying their status not only as sporting icons but also as business moguls.

#football #richest football player

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catrambo · 2 months ago

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What I Believe

Recently this got questioned, so I clarified and I figured it would be a good thing to post when reintroducing myself to Tumblr.

I am Cat Rambo, and this is what I believe.

I believe every human being has dignity and worth. That one should treat others with respect, including their pronouns and the pronunciation of their name. That people should be free to live, worship, and connect with the universe as they please. That decency, ethics, and accountability are core values. That understanding and acknowledging one’s own privilege is part of that accountability.

I believe stories matter. That they shape how people think about and understand their lives and the world at large. That they gift us with hope and empathy.

I believe that all paths to publishing – traditional, indie, small press, crowdfunded – are valid for writers and that nowadays more and more people are able to create their own art and tell their own stories in a new way that has created a wealth of great new writing, including many stories that wouldn’t have been told through traditional publishing.

I believe that historically the publishing industry has – like the world around it – disadvantaged people for reasons of sex, race, religion, disability, sexuality, social class, and a host of other isms, and that this has affected who has and hasn’t been able to be published. Because of that, we all need to continue to push towards an industry – and world – where that is not the case.

I believe my students are a major part of my legacy. They provide me with joy and pride as they work and write and do things in a world that is not particularly kind to people who create art. I try to live my life in a way that will not disappoint them.

I believe in the power of thank yous, because they say “I saw what you did and it’s appreciated”. And I believe in volunteering, because giving back to the community when you have the time and resources is a duty as well as often a joy. The science fiction and fantasy world runs on volunteer power, and acknowledging those volunteers is vital.

I believe that I am the product of many influences, including my Unitarian Universalist faith, which draws in turn from Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Humanism, Islam, Judaism, and Paganism. And all of those influences lead me to believe one should strive to leave the world a better place rather than a worse one.

I believe that claiming to be apolitical is itself a political act, and one bolstered by privilege.

I believe that what is happening in Gaza is wrong, and that there needs to be an immediate, and permanent, ceasefire. Over 40,000 have died in Gaza so far, most of them women and children. That is uncategorically wrong and it is symptomatic of a world where other wars are being waged on those who cannot fight back, primarily the poor.

I believe that a system that drives the vast majority of the wealth up to a specific few, rather than benefiting all, is broken and needs to be replaced. And I believe that those wealthy few are doing their best to foster divisions between the groups they’re exploiting, in order to keep anyone from noticing.

I believe in science and the power of rational thought. And that destroying books, whether by burning, shredding, or other means, is a symbolic destruction of the ability to think and learn.

I believe that people trying to hurt other people in petty ways are often – perhaps even usually – deeply in pain themselves, and that generally it’s better to hope they find the help they need than to try to hurt them back. Hate begets hate, which is sad when that hate is a twisted call for help.

I believe that karma is a force that works in this universe and that continuing to send out good energy and positive vibes will stand me in far greater stead than not. Kurt Vonnegut Jr. said “Be careful what you pretend to be, because you may become it.” I have never pretended to be anyone or anything other than what I am. And that’s what I will continue to

#self belief #life purpose #writing

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dankusner · 6 months ago

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Dallas-based alternative to Uber launches EV fleet

CONSIDINE

Ride-hailing service Alto launches first EV fleet

Dallas-based ride-hailing startup Alto Experience Inc. has launched a small electric vehicle fleet, which it plans to quickly grow.

Alto has partnered with Kia America Inc. to put 12 2024 Kia EV-9s on the streets of Dallas.

The fleet launched April 22, the company confirmed. It could grow the fleet to more than 100 by the end of 2024.

Not much information was disclosed about the Kia partnership but Alto CEO Will Coleman said his company has a "long history of working with [original equipment manufacturers] to obtain favorable rates for vehicles given our fleet scale across the U.S."

In July 2022, Coleman told the Dallas Business Journal that Alto was investing in EV charging infrastructure in hopes of converting its fleet to electric vehicles. At the time, the company had not yet found the right EV to fit its needs.

Alto offers a service is similar to Uber and Lyft, but the Dallas company uses a membership model that generates upfront revenue. Another major difference is that instead of using contract drivers, Alto employs them as W2 workers and provides safety and driving training. Alto also owns its fleet of SUVs, which can be found around Dallas-Fort Worth, including as the exclusive ride-hailing service at Dallas Love Field Airport.

Founded in 2018, Alto has raised $127.6 million, with a $22 million series C round in September 2023. The company also brought in nearly $2.8 million in a crowdfunding campaign through StartEngine Capital LLC, a round that closed April 29, the company said.

After expanding into the San Francisco and Palo Alto markets in 2022, Alto exited those areas in 2023 to "reallocate resources to higher growth markets." Alto said it's seen strong demand and growth in Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, Houston and Washington, D.C.

Alto also offers concierge services such as a courier services, food delivery and shopping delivery.RankPrior RankBusiness Name

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Washington Post

In public transmissions on a radio channel used by local EMS workers, someone said at 11:53 a.m. that a lieutenant had requested a response to the area of the school. As the response was discussed, one official was heard telling first responders: “Please, just stay back.”

The Post reviewed recordings of the channel that were published on the website Broadcastify. The public channel for EMS did not capture the transmissions for all law enforcement at the scene but indicated when information was relayed to local EMS crews.

When the attacker crashed the truck, it prompted a 911 call from a resident who added that the driver apparently had a rifle, said Travis Considine, spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety. The gunman encountered a school police officer and “they exchange gunfire,” Considine said, with the shooter wounding the officer and heading inside.

On Thursday, Victor Escalon Jr., the Department of Public Safety’s South Texas regional director, said there was no encounter outside the school between the shooter and a school police officer. “He walked in unobstructed initially,” Escalon said.

UVALDE SCHOOL SHOOTING Lawmaker challenges DPS’ audit of actions

State senator asks lieutenant governor to ensure oversight

By PHILIP JANKOWSKI

Austin Bureau

[email protected]

AUSTIN — The Texas state senator who represents Uvalde questioned Tuesday whether the Texas Department of Public Safety can be trusted to review its own officers’ actions during the Robb Elementary School shooting.

DPS announced an internal review Monday into the actions of the 91 state police officers who responded to the May 24 shooting. In a letter to Lt. Gov Dan Patrick on Monday, Sen. Roland Gutierrez called for the Texas Senate to take control of the DPS review.

“First, why has DPS decided to conduct this internal audit now, 55 days after the attack on Robb Elementary School? Secondly, can this entity be trusted to review its own inaction and failures on May 24, 2022?” Gutierrez said in a letter to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

DPS spokeswoman Ericka Miller said in an email that the Texas Rangers’ ongoing criminal investigation has included reviewing the actions of all law enforcement who responded to the shooting “from the very beginning.”

“The criminal investigation always takes precedent but is typically followed by a comprehensive administrative review of this nature,” Miller said in an email.

Gutierrez wants the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice to oversee the DPS probe. He said doing so would ensure that DPS conducts a thorough investigation.

“We owe the families in Uvalde nothing short of complete honesty and accountability,” Gutierrez said in a letter to Patrick. “To date, we have failed these families and my constituents are demanding a full accounting of the horrors of that day.

“It is our duty to ensure that the families receive answers and that every Texan never has to worry about this kind of public safety failure again,” he said.

DPS launched an internal review of its response to the shooting last week as a special investigative committee in the Texas House prepared to release its findings.

DPS Director Steven McGraw described the police response to the shooting as an “abject failure.” Most blame has been laid at the feet of local law enforcement, with local residents demanding the firing of Pete Arredondo, the Uvalde schools police chief. Arredondo and the city of Uvalde’s acting police chief have been placed on leave while numerous investigations into the police response continue.

But in the aftermath of the report, more focus is being directed at state and federal police, who outnumbered local police at the scene. Gutierrez has questioned why no one from state law enforcement took command of a response that the report described as chaotic and disorganized.

“You got 91 troopers on the scene. You got all the equipment you could possibly want, and you’re listening to the local school cop?” Gutierrez told The Associated Press on Monday.

The DPS review is being headed by Deputy Director Jeoff Williams. The committee is reviewing the actions of every DPS officer who responded to the school shooting, according to a spokeswoman.

• "DPS Director Steve McCraw said last fall that the Rangers’ investigation would be completed by the end of December. “The initial report is what the Director was referring to and that was made available to the DA’s team last week,” agency spokesperson Travis Considine wrote in an email this week."— JAN. 10, 2023. Texas Tribune

Uber pauses Dallas hiring, postpones some construction until 2021 because of coronavirus

The company doesn’t expect the moves to affect its long-term strategy for a Dallas hub.

Ongoing construction on Uber's new corporate office seen from the company's current Deep Ellum office on Jan. 27, 2020 in Dallas.

Uber is pausing hiring for its highly touted Dallas hub and delaying some construction at its Deep Ellum location until 2021, the technology company said Tuesday.

The San Francisco-based company originally said it was halting all construction until next year but later indicated that work on an office tower under construction would continue as planned. Uber is postponing improvements to a single floor of a nearby 16-story tower that it’s now leasing, said spokesman Travis Considine.

“In the long-term, we don’t anticipate any changes to our strategy or expectations regarding growth in the state," Considine said in a statement.

Construction on the 25-story high-rise that will eventually house Uber’s Dallas employees is still expected to be completed by May 2022, Westdale Real Estate managing partner Dennis Trimarchi told The Dallas Morning News.

Uber’s hiring freeze is unique to the tech giant’s Dallas operations, the company said. It didn’t say when hiring might resume.

“Uber is grateful for the responsible leadership [state and local officials] have shown throughout this difficult time, and we look forward to getting back on track creating jobs and continuing to make Texas a hub of innovation when this is all over,” Considine said.

Uber had wanted to staff its Dallas office with up to 400 employees by the end of 2019 and 3,000 by the end of 2023. The company was already behind on its hiring goals. Uber said it had hired about 200 workers, who support the company’s transportation-related businesses, including ride-hailing, food-delivery and the development of urban air taxis.

The August announcement that Uber would develop a corporate hub in Dallas was heralded by local leaders as a win for the city after Dallas came up short in the race for Amazon’s second headquarters, or HQ2. Uber was offered $36 million in grants and tax abatements by city, county and state officials.

Those incentives — $24 million of which would come from the state’s deal-closing fund used to lure business development to Texas — depend on the company’s ability to hit job-creation targets.

Related:Uber makes it official: It will set up major hub in downtown Dallas by end of year

Uber will ultimately move into a new tower that will be built at The Epic, an 8-acre development in Deep Ellum. Aug 20, 2019

As expected, the ride-sharing giant will establish a new U.S. General and Administrative Hub with a project that will create 3,000 new jobs and includes a more than $75 million in capital investment in Deep Ellum.

Uber to face questions concerning diversity as it seeks tax breaks Related: Uber to face questions concerning diversity as it seeks tax breaks

Uber could invest $125 million for potential office in Deep Ellum Related: Uber could invest $125 million for potential office in Deep Ellum

Mar 12, 2021, at 2:35 PM, McGaughy, Lauren wrote:

Dear Mr. Kusner, Thank you for the kind note. Travis actually has a bigger footprint than even just Uber and DPS! He also used to work for Rick Perry! Austin is a very revolving door kind of town. Have a great weekend.

Lauren Thank you for the kind note. Travis actually has a bigger footprint than even just Uber and DPS! He also used to work for Rick Perry! Austin is a very revolving door kind of town. Have a great weekend.

Lauren

#Youtube

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gameproducer58 · 6 months ago

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FIVE-STAR AWARD-WINNING SCI-FI DYSTOPIAN BOOK SOON TO BE FILM SERIES.

SuperPower: The Ability to Fly or to Become Invisible is a thrilling book series by Roger E. Pedersen. Let me take you on a journey into this captivating world:

Book #1: “The Deal of the Art”

-The story follows men and women who acquire these SuperPowers and team up with Professor Steele and his associate, the FA-King promising plenty of action, suspense, and unexpected twists. -Together, they orchestrate the world’s largest one-night heist, targeting major art museums in New York City, London, and Paris. -In this installment, individuals around the world discover their newfound ----SuperPower: either the ability to fly or to become invisible. -They join forces with Professor Steele and his associate, the FA (Fine Arts) King, to pull off the world’s largest one-night heist. Their target? Major art museums in New York City, London, and Paris. -Imagine the adrenaline rush as the stakes are high, and action abounds as SuperPower teams aim to steal a staggering $3.5 billion worth of artwork.

Unique Characters: -Each chapter focuses on a specific character, providing their backstory and revealing which SuperPower they possess. -Readers get to connect with these characters as they navigate their newfound abilities and participate in the daring heist.

Series Information: -“SuperPower: The Ability to Fly or to Become Invisible: The Deal of the Art” is the first book in a trilogy. -The subsequent books promise even more thrilling adventures and deeper exploration of the SuperPower phenomenon.

Book #2: “The Next Generation”

-Set twenty years after Professor Steele’s legendary heist, the story continues. -The twin sons of Diego and Carmen Martin now lead the DODGE (Department of Defense Genetically Engineered) Initiative, alongside Elijah Moses Jr. -Meanwhile, the Golden Eagle Organization, once run by the elusive Professor Steele, faces new challenges. -Worldwide recruitment of SuperPower individuals ensues, with missions spanning the globe—some driven by riches, others by glory, and a few by humanitarian motives. -The ultimate showdown unfolds with twists, turns as SuperPower vs. SuperPower having a final air battle that hinges on everyone’s SuperPower abilities. . Will the DODGE initiative or the Golden Eagle organization prevail? And what role will the Steele brothers play?

Book #3: “The Golden Eagle Has Yielded”

-Delving deep into the clandestine and turbulent world beneath the facade of power, this book explores the aftermath of past events into the ongoing conflict between SuperPower factions. -The Golden Eagle organization faces its most critical challenges yet, and the stakes have never been higher. -The Steele twins, Rocky and Apollo fall madly in love with the gorgeous SuperModel Myrena Gorgona who despises rejection and lies. -Secrets, alliances, and SuperPower abilities collide in a thrilling conclusion to the series.

Whether you’re drawn to dystopian intrigue, sci-fi, or tales of extraordinary abilities, Roger E. Pedersen’s SuperPower series promises an exhilarating journey through a world where flight and invisibility are more than mere fantasies—they’re reality.

OPTION and Read about the SuperPower film series. https://www.storyrocket.com/superpower-the-ability-to-fly-or-to-become-invisible-the-deal-of-the-art-book-1

Buy the entire series from Amazon: Amazon.com: SuperPower: The Ability to Fly or to Become Invisible: https://www.amazon.com/SuperPower-The…/dp/B09CH6TC2Y

PLEASE BUY THE SERIES TODAY! The SuperPower book series is available in eBook and softcover from Amazon, Google Play (eBook and audiobook), B&N, Kobo, Target, Walmart, and 100s of local bookstores.

Roger E Pedersen, Author

#superpower #dc comics #marvel comics #sci fi #dystopian fiction #book to movie

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newstfionline · 10 months ago

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Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Biting Cold Sweeping U.S. Hits the South With an Unfamiliar Freeze (NYT) Extreme weather gripped large parts of the Southern United States on Monday, with ice and snow hampering plans to commemorate the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, and several governors declaring states of emergency. Communities generally unaccustomed to major winter storms, from Tennessee to Texas, canceled or postponed events honoring Dr. King. Officials in Texas were especially wary about the storm, hoping to avoid a reprise of the catastrophe that unfolded in the state in 2021, when a winter storm killed 246 people and knocked out electricity for millions. At Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, which marked its 50th anniversary over the weekend, delays and cancellations piled up as temperatures plummeted to the low teens and blasts of wind whipped snow across the runways.

Fake 911 report of fire at the White House triggers emergency response (AP) A fake 911 call that the White House was on fire sent emergency vehicles to the complex Monday morning, when President Joe Biden and his family were at Camp David. Fire engines and other emergency vehicles responded to a report just after 7 a.m. that the White House was ablaze and a person was trapped inside, according to a person familiar with the matter. Within minutes, District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services and U.S. Secret Service personnel determined that it was a false report and called off the response.

Bernardo Arévalo faces huge challenges after finally being sworn in as Guatemala’s president (AP) Guatemala’s new president, Bernardo Arévalo, was left with huge challenges Monday after he was finally sworn into office, including his party’s lack of recognition in a Congress where he would not have a majority anyway. After months of efforts to derail his inauguration, old guard legislators delayed Arévalo’s swearing-in by 10 hours on Sunday. The foot-dragging lasted right up to the ceremony that took place just after midnight. Arévalo won an August election by a comfortable margin, but nothing has been straightforward since. He has said that he will request the resignation of Attorney General Consuelo Porras, who oversaw months of legal maneuvers to prevent his presidency, but it is unclear if he can get rid of her. A progressive academic-turned-politician and son of a Guatemalan president credited with implementing key social reforms in the mid-20th century, Arévalo made confronting Guatemala’s entrenched corruption his main campaign pledge.

Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state confronts flood damage after heavy rain kills at least 12 (AP) Neighborhoods in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state remained flooded Monday more than a day after torrential rains that killed at least 12 people. The heavy downpour wreaked havoc over the weekend, flooding peoples’ homes, a hospital, the metro line in the city of Rio and a main freeway section, Avenida Brasil. Some people drowned and were killed in landslides, while at least three died after being electrocuted. Eighteen towns across the state remained at “high” risk of landslides, according to civil defense officials. The floods were particularly devastating in Rio’s northern peripheries, some of the metropolitan’s poorest areas.

Ireland’s Housing Crisis (NYT) Before sunrise each day, Aoife Diver, a teacher in Dublin, gets into her car and drives for up to 90 minutes from her uncle’s house to the opposite side of the Irish capital. After school, it is back in the car for the reverse commute. It was not always like this. Ms. Diver, 25, used to share a house with five friends close to the school where she works in South Dublin. But when her rent and bills reached almost half of her monthly salary last year, she knew she had to move back in with family. The skyrocketing cost of private rentals has left many people struggling to afford housing in Dublin and other Irish cities, pushing some to move abroad and others to commute long distances. The crunch has left teachers and social workers priced out of the communities they serve, professional couples unable to buy homes and people on lower incomes fearing homelessness. The recent riots in Dublin capitalized on the grievances of people struggling to cover their housing costs and exposed to the world the deep fractures that the crisis has created. But the issue is decades in the making, experts say.

Oxfam Inequality Report Highlights Wealth Divide As Davos WEF Begins (Forbes) The world’s five richest men have seen their fortunes more than double since 2020, while over the same period five billion people have become poorer, according to new research published by Oxfam. The report, released on the first day of the annual World Economic Forum summit in Davos, Switzerland—a prominent gathering of billionaires—stipulates that the net worth of the world’s five richest individuals, all men, has shot up from $405 billion to $869 billion since 2020. That is a rate equivalent to about $14 million per hour. “We’re witnessing the beginnings of a decade of division, with billions of people shouldering the economic shockwaves of pandemic, inflation and war, while billionaires’ fortunes boom,” Oxfam International interim executive director, Amitabh Behar, wrote in the report.

Russian air passengers face peril as planes show strain of sanctions (Washington Post) Over the first eight days of December, civilian Russian airplanes experienced at least eight serious mechanical failures, terrifying many passengers as pilots were forced to make emergency landings in cities across the country. The incidents did not kill anyone, but they illustrate the rising peril of air travel in Russia. Nearly two years of sanctions over the war in Ukraine have left airlines struggling to obtain vital spare parts and, as a result, shortcutting safety standards—in some cases with government approval. On Dec. 8, S7 Airlines passengers heard loud bangs when their Boeing 737 took off from Novosibirsk for Moscow, as both of the plane’s engines surged and spat flames, Russian media reported. The same day, a Rossiya Airlines Airbus A319 flying to St. Petersburg lost cabin pressure and began to fall from the sky shortly after takeoff from Mineralnye Vody. The pilots made an emergency landing, Russian Telegram channels reported, and video from inside the cabin showed passengers screaming and crying as oxygen masks deployed from the ceiling.

Secretive surveillance flights keep close watch on Russia and Ukraine (AP) As the second anniversary of Russia’s Feb. 24, 2022, invasion of Ukraine nears, The Associated Press obtained rare and exclusive access aboard the giant Airborne Warning and Control System, or AWACS, aircraft. With 26 military personnel and an AP journalist aboard, it flew a 10-hour reconnaissance mission from central France to Romanian airspace and back, peering with electronic eyes across southern Ukraine and the Black Sea to Russian-occupied Crimea and beyond. Circling on auto-pilot at 34,000 feet (10 kilometers), the plane fed intelligence in real time to ground-based commanders. Its mission for NATO on the eastern flank of the 31-nation military alliance also, in effect, drew a do-not-cross line in European skies. The plane’s sustained presence high above eastern Romania—seeing and also being seen by Russian forces—signaled how intensely NATO is watching its borders and Russia, ready if necessary to act should Russian aggression threaten to extend beyond Ukraine.

The War Has Reined In Ukraine’s Oligarchs, at Least for Now (NYT) For weeks, they fended off Russian assaults, holed up in a vast steel mill under barrages of missiles and mortars. And when the Ukrainian troops defending the Azovstal plant finally surrendered in May 2022, the mill had been reduced to rubble and twisted metal. The fighting at Azovstal, in the besieged city of Mariupol, was a signature moment in the early months of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It was also a major setback for Ukraine’s richest man, the plant’s owner. With the destruction of Azovstal, the owner, Rinat Akhmetov, lost an industrial jewel accounting for one-fifth of Ukraine’s steel output—a multibillion dollar loss that dealt a severe blow to his longtime grip on the Ukrainian economy. Mr. Akhmetov’s case underlines how the war, by ravaging Ukrainian industry, has curbed the power of the country’s so-called oligarchs, tycoons who have long reigned over the economy and used their wealth to buy political influence, experts say. In the war’s first year, the total wealth of the 20 richest Ukrainians shrank by more than $20 billion, according to Forbes magazine.

North Korea will no longer pursue reconciliation with South because of hostility, Kim Jong Un says (AP) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country would no longer pursue reconciliation with South Korea and called for rewriting the North’s constitution to eliminate the idea of shared statehood between the war-divided countries, state media said Tuesday. The historic step to discard a decades-long pursuit of a peaceful unification, which was based on a sense of national homogeneity shared by both Koreas, comes amid heightened tensions where the pace of both Kim’s weapons development and the South’s military exercises with the United States have intensified in a tit-for-tat.

Israel Unearths More of a Subterranean Fortress Under Gaza (NYT) One tunnel in Gaza was wide enough for a top Hamas official to drive a car inside. Another stretched nearly three football fields long and was hidden beneath a hospital. Under the house of a senior Hamas commander, the Israeli military found a spiral staircase leading to a tunnel approximately seven stories deep. These details and new information about the tunnels, some made public by the Israeli military and documented by video and photographs, underscore why the tunnels were considered a major threat to the Israeli military in Gaza even before the war started. But Israeli officials and soldiers who have since been in the tunnels—as well as current and former American officials with experience in the region—say the scope, depth and quality of the tunnels built by Hamas have astonished them. Even some of the machinery that Hamas used to build the tunnels, observed in captured videos, has surprised the Israeli military. In December, the network was assessed to be an estimated 250 miles. Senior Israeli defense officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, are currently estimating the network is between 350 and 450 miles—extraordinary figures for a territory that at its longest point is only 25 miles. Two of the officials also assessed there are close to 5,700 separate shafts leading down to the tunnels.

#headlines #news

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