#Maryland Question 1

[frecht]

do you think the librarians like it when i go up to them with hyperspecific interlibrary loan questions. is annoying or is it enriching?

[destielmemenews]

"Officials identified the man as 26-year-old Luigi Nicholas Mangione. He was born in Maryland and his last known residence was Honoloulou. He was arrested on firearms charges and taken in for questioning related to Thompson's death. He has not been charged with Thompson's killing at this time."

source 1

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[amaditalks]

Abortion Is On The Ballot

In ten states, there are ballot measures or questions which will be decided in the November election which will impact the future of abortion access in those states. Here’s what you need to know.

Arizona

Arizona Proposition 139 the Right to Abortion Initiative will amend the state constitution to provide for the fundamental right to abortion that the state of Arizona may not interfere with before the point of fetal viability unless justified by a compelling state interest.

To enshrine abortion rights protection in the state constitution Vote Yes

Colorado

Colorado Amendment 79, the Right to Abortion and Health Insurance Coverage Initiative will amend the state constitution to create the right to an abortion and authorize the use of public funds (Medicaid) to pay for abortion care.

To enshrine abortion rights protection in the state constitution Vote Yes

Florida

Florida Amendment 4, the Right to Abortion Initiative, will amend the state constitution to declare that "no law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.” The current constitutional provision requiring parental consent for minors' abortions will not be affected.

To enshrine abortion rights protection in the state constitution and overturn the current six week abortion ban Vote Yes

Maryland

Maryland Question 1, the Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment, will amend the state constitution to establish a right to reproductive freedom, defined to include "the ability to make and effectuate decisions to prevent, continue, or end one's own pregnancy."

To enshrine reproductive rights protection in the state constitution Vote Yes

Missouri

Missouri Amendment 3, the Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative will amend the state constitution to provide the right for reproductive freedom, which is defined as "the right to make and carry out decisions about all matters relating to reproductive health care, including but not limited to prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion care, miscarriage care, and respectful birthing conditions," and providing that the state legislature may enact laws that regulate abortion after fetal viability.

To enshrine broad reproductive rights protection including abortion in the state constitution and overturn the current complete abortion ban Vote Yes

Montana

Montana CI-128, the Right to Abortion Initiative will create a constitutional "right to make and carry out decisions about one’s own pregnancy, including the right to abortion," and allow the state to regulate abortion after fetal viability, except when "medically indicated to protect the life or health of the pregnant patient."

To enshrine broad reproductive rights protection including abortion in the state constitution Vote Yes

Nebraska

The Nebraska Prohibit Abortions After the First Trimester Amendment will amend the state constitution to elevate the current twelve week abortion ban law to a constitutional provision with limited exceptions for medical emergencies or in cases of rape.

To prevent the current legislative abortion ban from being enshrined in the state constitution Vote No

Nevada

Nevada Question 6, the Right to Abortion Initiative will amend the state constitution to create a constitutional right to an abortion, providing for the state to regulate abortion after fetal viability, except where medically indicated to "protect the life or health of the pregnant patient."

To enshrine abortion rights protection in the state constitution Vote Yes

New York

New York Proposal 1, the Equal Protection of Law Amendment will amend the state constitution to provide that people cannot be denied rights based on their "ethnicity, national origin, age, and disability" or "sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy."

To enshrine equal rights protection for pregnant people and abortion patients in the state constitution Vote Yes

South Dakota

The South Dakota Constitutional Amendment G, the Right to Abortion Initiative will amend the state constitution to protect the right to an abortion based on a trimester framework, with no restrictions permitted in the first trimester, only limited medical need restrictions permitted in the second trimester and allowing deeper restrictions in the third trimester except "when abortion is necessary, in the medical judgment of the woman's physician, to preserve the life and health of the pregnant woman."

To enshrine abortion rights protection in the state constitution and overturn the state's current full abortion ban Vote Yes

If you live in one of these ten states and abortion rights matter to you, get registered or double check your registration and make your voting plan today. Every single vote matters significantly in amendment questions.

[stevetoday]

Pro-Choice - Abortion Measures on The Ballot

Florida Amendment 4, the Right to Abortion Initiative A Yes vote with 60% will Establish a constitutional right to abortion until viability, with exceptions for later pregnancies. Arizona Proposition 139, Right to Abortion Initiative (2024) A "yes" vote supports amending the state constitution to provide for the fundamental right to abortion, among other provisions.

Colorado Amendment 79, Right to Abortion and Health Insurance Coverage Initiative A  "yes" vote supports creating a right to abortion in the state constitution and allowing the use of public funds for abortion. Maryland Question 1, Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment A "yes" vote supports adding a new article to the Maryland Constitution's Declaration of Rights establishing a right to reproductive freedom, defined to include "the ability to make and effectuate decisions to prevent, continue, or end one's own pregnancy."

Missouri Amendment 3, Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative A "yes" vote supports adding a fundamental right to reproductive freedom, defined to include abortion and “all matters relating to reproductive health care,” to the Missouri Constitution, among other provisions. Montana CI-128, Right to Abortion Initiative

provide a state constitutional "right to make and carry out decisions about one’s own pregnancy, including the right to abortion," and

allow the state to regulate abortion after fetal viability, except when "medically indicated to protect the life or health of the pregnant patient."

Nebraska Initiative 434, Prohibit Abortions After the First Trimester Amendment A "no" vote opposes amending the state constitution to prohibit abortions after the first trimester unless necessitated by a medical emergency or the pregnancy is a result of sexual assault or incest.

Nebraska Initiative 439, Right to Abortion Initiative A "yes" vote supports amending the state constitution to establish a right to abortion until fetal viability. Nevada Question 6, Right to Abortion Initiative A "yes" vote supports providing for a state constitutional right to an abortion, providing for the state to regulate abortion after fetal viability, except where medically indicated to "protect the life or health of the pregnant patient." New York Proposal 1, Equal Protection of Law Amendment A "yes" vote supports adding language to the New York Bill of Rights to provide that people cannot be denied rights based on their "ethnicity, national origin, age, and disability" or "sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy."

South Dakota Constitutional Amendment G, Right to Abortion Initiative A "yes" vote supports providing for a state constitutional right to abortion in South Dakota, using a trimester framework for regulation:

During the first trimester, the state would be prohibited from regulating a woman's decision to have an abortion;

During the second trimester, the state may regulate abortion, but "only in ways that are reasonably related to the physical health of the pregnant woman;" and

During the third trimester, the state may regulate or prohibit abortion, except "when abortion is necessary, in the medical judgment of the woman's physician, to preserve the life and health of the pregnant woman."

[thesiltverses]

I wanted to start off by thanking all of you for this most wonderful crustacean filled story! Having grown up in Maryland (a little US state so defined by its relationship to a giant estuary that the state college gives new students a crab mallet and some Old Bay seasoning), I loved seeing crustaceans get the proper reverence (and dread) they deserve.

My question is in regards to Val and The Last Word (who I love, love, love!!):

In the story, it seems to be implied that The Last Word is not only a newly created god, but also may be mixed up with Val in a way unusual for most god-saint cases (or maybe I’m misreading it, and the only weird one here is Val)

In that case, when Val died, did The Last Word also die with them? Or is it still out there, limping along without any worshippers? Considering its need for an audience to warp realities, would it even be possible for it to influence the world now that Val isn’t around to speak for it anymore?

Part of me thinks that if it survived it might end up a stray god in a similar way to The Watcher In The Wings, laying dormant until some hapless soul manages to draw its prayer marks (would there even be any records for how to summon this highly illegal and secret god?) I feel like the only living person who might be directly aware of it would be Chuck Harm (and now I’m imagining Chuck living his best life with the dogs while The Last Word futilely tries to tempt him into going back to newscasting to spread the word, like a puppy begging for human food)

TLDR, did our beloved walking war-crime take her beloathed god down with her?

Thank you for listening! I adore your thoughts on the Last Word and your story about the Maryland crab mallets is bizarre and horrible in all the best ways.

Personally, I don't see the Last Word as necessarily having an existence outside of Val (and as you mention, we see throughout the season that increasingly Val can lie without calling upon it at all). Which could be either:

1) because Val is right and she has lied her way into being a walking, talking god of lies

2) because a god of lies is necessarily insubstantial and evasive

3) because the Last Word does exist in some form, but it has no need for attention or communication as it's being worshipped far more meaningfully and effectively by characters like Carson and Chuck without even using its name. In this reading, Val is effectively a god-hacker tapping into its usage without having its attention.

[hazbin-but-good]

another hazbin hotel rewrite/redesign?

yup! and i'm so serious about it that i made a whole blog for it. i'm a white queer ex-cath tran doing this as an art and writing exercise, so feedback from other creatives + jewish and/or racialized folks is especially welcome.

i'm putting this post and only this post in the main tags for visibility. also, not gonna link my main, but i do make my own original stuff, and i encourage fans and haters alike to do the same.

anyway, here's a mostly good-faith 1.7k-word essay on the original. i think it's pretty funny and brings up some less talked-about points. correct me on the facts, disagree with my opinions, and ask clarifying questions, but don't come at me with any piss-poor reading comprehension.

the hellaverse is garbage, and here's why

cw: strong language, stronger opinions, intersectional feminist critical discourse analysis

1. vivienne medrano, the person

medrano was born as a well-off white-passing latina (salvadoran-american) in bougieass frederick, maryland. while attending new york's top art school, she got popular on deviantart-tumblr-twitter by being a prolific multifandom fujoshi furry who's more into ornamental character design than storytelling. upon graduation, she leveraged her fanbase and industry connections to make the hazbin and helluva boss pilots, get helluva made for youtube, and get hazbin made for amazon prime.

like every woman online, she gets harassed for no good reason, and as a certified autist, i will defend her right to be dumb, weird, annoying, and bad with words. however, there are legit reasons to criticize her:

racism, misogyny, homophobia, fatphobia, some antisemitism, past transphobia, past ableism

shitty boss, bad friend

cowardly, vindictive, manipulative, thoughtless behavior

skeevy friends

sucks at taking criticism

in short, i think she desperately needs a PR person and someone to clean up her digital footprint.

2. medrano's art

incurious

inauthentic

noncommittal

creatively stagnant

overindulgent, and the indulgence isn't even fun

shallow and childish framed as complex and mature

bland and boring framed as shocking and subversive

to be clear, i'm at peace with the existence of suckass art like this; i just think the money, attention, and praise it gets are unearned and should go to more interesting works, of which there are infinite.

medrano's had the time, money, and social cache to grow as an artist, learn from the best, and take creative risks, but she hasn't. if she truly has nothing more to offer, she should let her collaborators take the wheel, but she doesn't do that either. instead, she keeps getting more and more resources to make the same baby bullshit, and that pisses me off. she could be the nicest person ever, and this fundamental arrogance would still make her art blow.

stop with the pointless guilt: liking medrano's work does not make you stupid or evil. however, if you stay in the kiddie pool of culture, if you refuse to engage with a diversity of art, if the hellaverse is your point of reference for anything media-related, you can't expect to have your opinions on art, media, or culture taken seriously. you have not earned a seat at the table. you gotta hit the books first.

i cannot emphasize enough how much incredible stuff is out there if you're willing to look further than what social media and streaming services put right in front of you. if you come away from this blog having learned about just one new artist or piece of art, i'll be a happy camper.

3. the hellaverse

a. empty and confused

hazbin and helluva's content and marketing has no clear target audience. the subjects are inappropiate for teens, but the execution is too childish for adults, and lemme tell you what i don't mean by that, first.

not inherently inappropriate for teens:

sex and sexuality

violence, including when it intersects with the above

politics and religion

not inherently childish:

animation (any style)

comedy

episodic writing and/or loose continuity

young characters

fun, happiness, optimism, the power of friendship, cuteness, tenderness, sincerity, etc.

what i mean is that these shows are literally about adult characters who fuck, smoke, drink, do drugs, go clubbing, work full-time, manage their own finances, and deal with stuff like bureaucracy, sexual violence, domestic abuse, marriage, divorce, late adoption, and family estrangement.

however, none of these "adult" things are given enough specificity to create drama or comedy. it's all too stock, vague, flat, weirdly sanitized, and thus utterly banal—pure aesthetics on top of bad saturday morning cartoons. it's exactly what i'd expect from a sheltered disney kid who needs to log off and get into their local gay scene ASAP so their only contact with things like poverty, policing, addiction, and sex work stops being facile movies and TV.

if the shows were aware of this and played with it, that could be amazing, but they're not. they give you the mickey mouse version of the world with a straight face and then play looney tunes sound effects to try to make you laugh and sad_violin.mp3 to try to make you cry. now that's funny.

b. old and tired

let's make like americans and pretend that the rest of the world doesn't exist. even within the confines of the USA, home of the hays code, the red scare, and reaganite propaganda, this neopuritan fascist state ruled by 1000 megachurches in a trenchcoat, the indie/underground animation scene has been doing crazier shit for decades. anti-war films in the 60's, bakshi movies in the 70's, the simpsons shorts and r-rated movies in the 80's, adult swim and MTV in the 90's, flash/newgrounds/youtube in the 00's, streaming in the 2010's—so what are we doing in the 2020's with this wet white rice drowned in expired ketchup? i feel crazy making this point because it's obvious if you've watched these things, but if you haven't, you're gonna be like "well, there's gotta be something new here". no! there isn't! in the words of jimmy "the scot" jordan, nothing, nothing, NOTHING!

c. ideological purgatory

actually, there is one thing in these shows i've never seen before: the presbysterianism. shout out some interesting or at least intentional presbysterian art in the comments, because the way these ideas are presented here is not compelling. it just makes the rainbow neoliberalism even more confusing and contradictory.

i guess the big presbysterian things are protestanism, calvinism, and, uh, big church government? presbysterians, get your shit together. get your brand down. catholics have BDSM and vampires, evangelicals have TV and corporatism; what do you have? celtic crosses? no wonder medrano has such uninspired ideas on divinity.

d. queer deficiency

when i look at a piece of art, i ask myself: "what does this give me that i can't get from the hunchback of notre dame (1996)?" if the answer is as limp as "uhh, gay people, i guess", i can probably look for my gay shit elsewhere and rewatch the hunchback of notre dame (1996) in the meantime.

but let's say that you have no standards. you've been waiting for ages for a show about gays by the gays for the gays, and by god you're gonna get it. this is it! here we go! time for some

generic twink obliteration

male sexuality as aggression and dominance displays

WLW (sex and chemistry not included)

a couple straight femdoms

and the stalest sex jokes known to man

...yeah, it's not very queer. and by "queer", i mean "questioning or subverting gender norms (including sexual roles) within a given cultural context regardless of creator identity and intent". i'm not a queer studies scholar so LMK if there's a more specific term for this, but whatever you call it, it's not in the hellaverse much.

there's not even any transness, literal or metaphorical, just ancient drag jokes. i guess the writers thought we would've been too controversial. so much for an indie animation studio that prides itself in the diversity of its staff both above and below the line, bakshi-style. i wonder how medrano, a bisexual woman, would've felt if told that a lesbian main couple in hazbin would be "too controversial".

4. spindlehorse and the vivziepop brand

spindlehorse toons underpays its overworked staff and keeps outsourcing more and more labor to even more overworked freelancers overseas to cut costs. a rainbow sweatshop is still a sweatshop, and just because these practices may be "industry standard" doesn't make them any more ethical.

the studio has also been repeatedly accused by current and former employees and contractors of creating a hostile and abusive workplace. AFAIK, it still has no dedicated HR person, and victims are too afraid of retaliation like blacklisting and online harassment to speak out.

this is exactly the stuff that unions exist to prevent. as i'm writing this, the IATSE (the parent union of TAG, which is the parent union of all US animation unions) is negotiating with entertainment industry executives for better working conditions, and if the execs fuck around like last year, it's strike time again. so watch this space, voice your support, and don't cross any picket lines.

i hope spindlehorse unionizes, but until then and for these reasons, i don't think you should give money to the company.

first of all, all content on amazon-owned platforms is ok to pirate, and all youtube ads are ok to block. everyone involved in making the episodes has (or should have) been paid upfront, so you're not taking the bread out of anyone's mouth.

next, let's look at the succulent offerings of the official vivziepop merch shop:

$10 pins and keychains

$15 sticker packs

$20 mugs and acrylic cutouts

$25 shirts

$30 metal cards (not even tarot)

$40 lounge pants

$50 mini backpacks

random $80 skateboard deck

forgive my latin americanness, but this is all stuff you can get made by a local metalsmith, print/sublimation shop, or just crafty people in your life. it's cheaper, customizable, and better for the environment to skip all the shipping and packaging. also, not painting your own skateboard is poser shit.

the hazbin website also has $15 pins, one $20 keychain, and $6 trading card packs. people are weird about trading cards, so if for some reason you wanna gamble for a mass-produced bit of cardboard, plastic, and tinfoil, at least bulk-order for all the vivziepoppers in your area so it's less of a huge waste. better yet, trace the designs and make infinite bootlegs.

at the end of the day, buying merch is not activism. your bulk order of trading cards will not save any wage slaves from getting evicted from their overpriced studio apartments. however, the shop links you to all the credited artists/designers, and more of your bucks will actually reach them if you buy their designs directly, then turn them into body pillows or life-sized bronze statues or whatever the fuck.

go through the credits of any episode of helluva or hazbin, and you'll find even more creatives you might wanna support. get jinkx monsoon's albums on CD. subscribe to actually good artist, animator, and composer gooseworx. lots of voice actors now have patreon, cameo, or self-hosted pages where you can write better lines for their characters and have them read it. these things may not look as shiny as Official Merch™, but we all need less plastic shit and more culture anyway.

[dilly-dahlying]

Seeking Beta Readers - Mourning Dove’s Roost

a paranormal road trip where the scariest encounters are goodbyes.

I recently finished the second draft of my novel but before I can move forward with the next stage I’d like to make sure the main character’s internal conflict is coming across properly. If anyone is interested in reading a light horror road trip story about friendship and grief, this story is for you!

What it's about:

As a paranormal enthusiast, there’s not much that truly scares Carlos. The thought of losing his friends though terrifies him more than any ghost story possibly could. Lately, his best friends Manny and Izzy have been drifting away, but he can’t bear to face the truth.

Instead, Carlos distracts himself with a cross country road trip, seeking inspiration for his website design—a social hub for fans of the supernatural like himself. Along the way, he meets Paz, a bright yet cowardly soul, who Carlos can’t help but notice is just as lonely as him no matter how hard Paz tries to hide it. With Paz headed to Baltimore, Maryland, the two decide to travel together, quickly finding a new home in each other as they bond over their loneliness.

It’s a trip full of unexplainable encounters, where Carlos and Paz teach each other how to make peace with moving on. Together they embark on a journey of goodbyes.

Other Info:

102k, third person limited, light horror

Themes/motifs:

Friendship, home, grief, loneliness, forgiveness, healing and acceptance, ghosts, new beginnings

Warnings:

occasional gore, panic attacks, attempted self harm (in a flashback), reference of past suicide attempt and suicidal ideation.

What I’m looking for:

Feedback on the overall story, especially the emotional beats. What works/doesn’t work in terms of plot, character development, and pacing.

How it’ll work:

The beta period will be from Feb 1- April 30 2025. It’s rather long so I want to make sure readers have ample time to get through the story! Readers will receive their own document. At the end of the story there will be a link to a beta reader questionnaire for you to provide feedback :) comments as you read are also welcome!

Interested? Thank you so much! Please fill out this form :D If you have any questions, feel free to reply to this post or dm me!

Want to know more about the story/characters? Check out these links: intro post, Carlos intro, Paz Intro, Snippet #1, wip tag

Boosts are super appreciated!!

[misfitwashere]

ROBERT REICH

MAR 24

Friends,

On Saturday, March 22nd, 800 people filled the Mace Lane Middle School in Cambridge, MD, to capacity for a Town Hall to discuss President Trump’s policies and District 1 Representative Andy Harris’ role in supporting them. 

Harris represents Cambridge, MD. He was invited but refused to attend, leading to the placement of a large milk carton on the stage with ‘MIA” and “Missing” in large letters. 

Throughout the meeting Representative Harris was referred to as “AWOL Andy.”

Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin, Congressman from Maryland’s District 8, replaced the absent Harris. 

Raskin, a former law professor who was elected in 2017, focused his comments on the unconstitutionality of Trump’s actions attempting to dismantle federal agencies and programs. Citing the language of the Constitution verbatim from memory, he took the audience through Articles I through III of the Constitution that specify the powers of Congress, the Executive, and the Courts. He summarized his discussion by noting that the Congress enacts laws and funds programs, whereas it is the Executive’s responsibility to implement them.

Raskin also reiterated the recent warning from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts that, if disagreeing with a court’s decision, the proper course of action is to appeal that decision and not call for a judge’s impeachment. While Roberts did not name the President, it was clearly in response to Trump’s earlier call for the impeachment of US District Judge James Boasberg, who had issued a temporary injunction to halt the deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members.

When citizens in the Town hall rose to ask questions, there was a considerable amount of ridiculing of Representative Harris’ claims that he did not want to attend these kinds of meetings because the Democratic Party was busing in paid, out-of-area protesters to disrupt them. When people attending the event asked questions, most of them identified where they lived in District 1.

Many of these individuals asked what ordinary people could do to halt what they characterized as the President’s unconstitutional actions. Representative Raskin responded that it was important to attend public events such as this meeting as well as look to electing more responsive legislators in the 2026 elections.

Representative Raskin’s presentation and responses to questions were widely applauded during the meeting. He was awarded numerous standing ovations throughout the event, and was asked by some participants whether he would be willing to run to be the District 1 Representative or even President in the future. Raskin jokingly responded he would do anything to further the cause of democracy in America.

The event was sponsored by Cambridge Indivisible. At the conclusion of the meeting, they indicated a March on Washington DC was planned for April 5th on the Washington Monument grounds. The “Hands Off” march is being organized by the national Indivisible organization with other organizations (such as The Women’s March) also planning to rally that day.

[the-evil-lgbtq-foundation]

Hello cishetallos and pottential allies and eggs, we are the lgbt foundation, we are the pinnacle of queer®

mods are:

Naminé: trans disaster bi idiot- SHOULD SPEAK IN BOLD ORANGE. Pronouns are She/They/It/Chaos/Chao. tag: Naminé's Idioty back again

Ash: abrosexual genderfluid they/them idk what else to put,

Aspen: Tboy enby mess of gender(agenderfaun with some xenogender spice). Uranic orieanted aroace and demisensual. Romance repulsed and sex repulsed. They/xe/it/he with a slight preference for it/its. AuDHD and OCD. Host of a system. Eldritch void deity. Respect romance repulsed individuals or die by my teeth and claws.

Pendoline: Call me penny or Petra, Pansexual panromantic Polyamorus Obgectum with autism and 5 girlfriends, 1 QPR and one boyfriend, Autism, Dyslexia and Dumbassery, Umnghj I was just invited so idk what else to put, also Daily reminder to tw Tag romance Sex and All that other stuff! System

Uses the tag pendoline's twirl

Bug: agender neutrois kingender creature. Apothisexual apothiroflux aroace. It/its and any gender neutral neopronouns. I'll use purple :]

Eco: demiaroace, enby, xe/them (our pronouns fluctuate depending on who's fronting), system! [aka the eco system]. we don't have autism and the amount of us agreeing with that statement depletes daily. diagnosed ocd, and now diagnosed adhd. also we'll probably tag who's speaking,,,. you may recognize us from maryland-officially!. uh yeah that's it! im taking non-bold yellow

Onyx: I AM NOT NAMED LIKE A POKEMON!! any prns cuz idc tbh. I'll type in white/black italics! i autism and am otherwise currently in diagnosis or something idk and uhh yeah! i like maths. like. very much so. i usually read or learn stuff so don't expect me to be online here 24/7 lmao. I am german but please speak to me in english or alternatively spanish (or french, but im bad) as im currently learning!

Rii: They/he polyamorous bisexual gendernonconforming transmasc :3 Autism, ADHD, and misophonia. Only adult on the blog so far (and only one to use multiple colors so far!) Always happy to answer questions about almost anything :D

[mariacallous]

Just before the recent advance of Ukrainian forces into Russian territory, there were signs that Americans were becoming somewhat less confident about Ukraine’s prospects in the war with Russia. Add to this that the United States is in the middle of a heated election season where Republican politicians have been less supportive of backing Ukraine, one might have expected a drop in American public support for Kyiv.

Yet, our new University of Maryland Critical Issues Poll with SSRS shows robust, even increasing, support for Ukraine.

The poll was carried out by SSRS among a sample of 1,510 American adults from their probability-based online panel, in addition to oversamples of 202 Blacks and 200 Hispanics, July 26-August 1, just before the Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk region. The margin of error is +/- 3.0 %.  Here are some key takeaways.

Americans across the partisan divide are far more sympathetic to Ukraine than to Russia

A strong majority of Americans across the political spectrum sympathize more with Ukraine than Russia in the ongoing war: 62% of respondents express more sympathy with Ukraine than Russia, including 58% of Republicans and 76% of Democrats. At the same time, just 2% of respondents said they sympathized more with Russia in the conflict, including 4% of Republicans and 1% of Democrats. Republicans (20%) were more likely than Democrats (7%) to say they sympathized with neither side, while equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats (5%) said they sympathized with both sides equally.

More Americans want the United States to stay the course in supporting Ukraine as long as it takes

The percentage of respondents who said they want the United States to stay the course in supporting Ukraine grew from our October 2023 poll, reaching the highest level in our tracking since the spring of 2023. In our latest survey, 48% of all respondents said that the United States should support Ukraine as long as the conflict lasts, including 37% of Republicans and 63% of Democrats. All these numbers are new highs in our four polls since March-April 2023.

This shift among Republicans is especially striking considering recent campaign statements by the Republican candidates for president and vice president, Donald Trump and J.D. Vance. Both members of the Republican ticket have made statements opposing further U.S. military aid to Ukraine.

Fewer Americans say Ukraine is winning and Russia is losing

Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, our polls have tracked the American public assessment of Russia’s and Ukraine’s performance and prospects in the war, as we had reason to think that this assessment might influence the degree of public support for backing Ukraine. In the previous three polls, since March-April 2023, we found little change in that assessment. In the latest poll, there was a marked drop in the assessment that Ukraine is winning and Russia is losing.

Overall, 30% of respondents said Russia is failing in the latest poll, compared to 37% in October; and 21% said Ukraine is succeeding, compared to 26% in October. A plurality of about one-third said each side was neither winning nor losing. Democrats were more likely to think Ukraine (29%) is winning compared to those who said the same about Russia (9%). Republicans were more likely to express equal attitudes about the extent to which Russia (17%) and Ukraine (17%) are winning.

Fewer Americans view current levels of Ukraine funding as about right

American public attitudes on the level of funding for Ukraine remain highly partisan, with more Republicans saying the level is “too much” (52%) and more Democrats saying it’s about “the right level” (39%). Fewer respondents to the question about the level of U.S. support said, “they didn’t know” (26% compared to 33% last October). At the same time, there was an increase in the overall respondents who said the United States is spending too much (35% compared to 29% in October), and there was a simultaneous increase among those who said it is spending too little (15% compared to 10% in October).

The percentage of respondents saying that U.S. support for Ukraine is at the right level has dropped from 28% last October to 24% in July-August, with Republican support dropping from 18% to 15% and Democratic support dropping from 41% to 39%.

Americans support encouraging Ukraine to engage in conflict-ending diplomacy

We asked: “How much would you support or oppose the United States urging Ukraine to engage in diplomatic negotiations with Russia and the United States as soon as possible to end the war in Ukraine?”

We found strong bipartisan support for American urging of Ukraine to engage in diplomacy with Russia, though Republican support is more intense. Overall, 77% of respondents were supportive of diplomacy, with 40% saying they “strongly support” and 37% supporting “somewhat.” Republicans were more “strongly” supportive (53%) compared to Democrats (33%).

Conclusion

Before the recent advance of Ukrainian forces into Russian territory, the American public was growing less confident about Ukraine’s prospects in the war. Surprisingly, this has not undermined overall public support for Ukraine, especially the expressed commitment to stay the course for as long as it takes, which increased since last October. However, attitudes toward the level of support, while partisan, indicated some decline: A 6-point increase among those who say the support is too much, compared to only a one-point increase among those who say either that support is at the right level or too little (from 38% in October to 39% in July-August).

The most striking finding is the degree of bipartisan overall sympathy with Ukraine that encompasses majorities of Republicans and Democrats. The significant increase in the percentage of Republicans who want to see the United States stay the course in its support for Ukraine for as long as takes is especially notable as it occurs in the middle of a presidential campaign where the presidential candidates have taken contrasting views that might lead to a deeper partisan public divide. Early reports about the success of the Ukrainian advance into Russia may have impacted U.S. public support for Ukraine further, as in our previous studies, we found a positive correlation between the degree of perceived Ukrainian success on the battlefield and the degree of public willingness to support Ukraine.

[dioslesbianwife]

I loved the funny valentine with the 1 to America question and thought of something

How would he react to his partner saying how he would feel having kids and whoud he mind them get named as states from America.

And then they reveal she is pregnant with his child and wanted to support him by giving their child a strong American name. 🇺🇸

lol that's an interesting idea, i hope you enjoy and thank you for requesting <333

Before Pregnancy – Asking About Kids

Funny Valentine is a composed, patriotic man, so when you ask how he feels about having children, he ponders the question seriously before responding.

"Raising a child is a great responsibility… one that shapes the future of a nation. If I were to have a child, they would be raised with the utmost care, dignity, and discipline."

He’s not opposed to the idea, but he would need to ensure that his legacy, and, more importantly, America’s, remains strong and honorable through them.

He'd likely ask you, "And what of you? Do you truly wish for such a thing?" His concern isn't just for himself but also for you and the weight of raising a child while being tied to a man of his status.

Finding Out You’re Pregnant

Composed on the outside, but internally? A mix of pride, excitement, and the weight of responsibility hitting all at once.

He places a gentle hand on your stomach, staring at you with an unreadable expression before finally smiling.

"Then we shall raise them to be strong. To carry on the ideals of this great nation."

He becomes extremely protective of you throughout the pregnancy, ensuring you have the best care, the safest environment, and absolutely no unnecessary stress.

Suggesting State Names for the Baby

When you first bring it up, he pauses, looks at you, and blinks.

"Pardon?"

If you seriously suggest naming the baby ‘Maryland’ or ‘Nebraska’ just to see his reaction, he slowly sets down whatever he’s holding and exhales deeply through his nose.

"…My dear, I have always trusted your wisdom, but I must ask… do you truly believe a child should bear such a name?"

He thinks you’re joking at first, but if you keep a straight face, he actually starts debating it in his mind.

"Would… Liberty be a suitable name instead? Perhaps Columbia?"

The absolute worst reaction you get is if you suggest something like ‘Florida.’

"Florida Valentine? That sounds like the name of a scandalous journalist. Unacceptable." (as if his first name isn't Funny)

If you start throwing out random states like Virginia or Kentucky, he massages his temples and mutters something about this being a test of patience.

In the end, he would absolutely refuse to name his child after a state, but he does appreciate your humor.

If you jokingly say, "What, no love for America?"

He deadpans: "I am America."

Final Decision on the Name

You probably don’t get a state name approved, but you might be able to convince him to go with a historical or patriotic name.

He’d be more inclined toward something elegant, strong, and meaningful- perhaps "Theodore" (after Roosevelt), "Eleanor" (after Roosevelt again), or something related to freedom and strength.

But if you persistently joke about state names, he will groan in frustration but secretly find your antics endearing.

"You are a remarkable woman… though sometimes I wonder if you take joy in testing me."

[allthegeopolitics]

https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/maryland-ballot-question-1-abortion-amendment-2024-election/

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Walter Einenkel at Daily Kos:

Billionaire Elon Musk is using his sway within Donald Trump’s administration to try to destroy the United States Agency for International Development. USAID handles U.S. aid to foreign projects around public health, education, disaster relief, and promoting democracy abroad. On Monday, congressional Democrats condemned Musk’s actions, calling them illegal during a press conference outside of the closed USAID headquarters.  Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut singled out Musk’s business interests in China, which many people believe encouraged Musk to torpedo the House GOP’s spending bill in December.  “China is cheering at this action today,” Murphy said.

“Elon Musk, you may have illegally seized power over the financial payment systems of the United States Department of Treasury,” Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland said. “But you don’t control the money of the American people. The United States Congress does that under Article 1 of the Constitution.”  Raskin called the billionaire’s actions an “outrageous, scandalous, illegal maneuver.” The congressman questioned the target of Musk’s attempted budget cuts, noting the Pentagon, whose budget is more than 20 times the size of the USAID, does not seem to be on Musk’s list. 

Democrats have begun to call out the Elon Musk coup.

See Also:

The Guardian: Progressive Democrats accuse Trump and Musk of ‘a plutocratic coup’

HuffPost: Democrats Vow To Fight Trump's 'Illegal' Efforts To Gut Federal Agencies

[from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras]

Thank you for decorating my Christmas Tree! :)

Here are 12 Christmas Questions for you! 

No pressure: feel free to answer some, all, or even none. :) 

Favorite Christmas season activity?

Favorite Traditional Christmas song?

Favorite Modern Christmas song?

Favorite Christmas movie(s)?

Favorite Christmas episode (any tv show)?

Favorite food to eat or serve for the Christmas meal?

Favorite Christmas beverage or dessert? 

Most memorable Christmas gift you received as a child?

Best Christmas gift you ever gave to anyone?

If you have a Christmas tree, what’s your tree topper?

What’s your favorite version of Santa in a movie?

Which fictional character would you like to be caught under the mistletoe with?

Aw, thanks! I was glad to decorate your tree, since I’m glad to be your friend!

It hasn’t been feeling particularly Christmas-y over here this year, so hopefully this will help me get into the mood! I just picked a few:

1. My mom and sister and I bake cookies together every Christmas Eve. It’s lovely.

5. Original recipe animated Grinch for me, please. The songs are bangers and I still get choked up when his heart grows three sizes.

9. When Cameo was still a totally brand new thing, I bought my husband a video from one of his most beloved childhood actors and he had NO IDEA how I managed to pull that off and was SO THRILLED.

10. We haven’t put our tree up this year, but the topper is a crab. (He does look festive though.) (I’m from Maryland and this isn’t as weird here as it probably sounds.)

Happy holidays to you and your whole family! ♥️

[polarthings]

Chapter 1: Preparation for a Storm

Max ran through the halls of the facility, trying to find an exit as quickly as possible but he couldn’t find one. Loud explosions rang out everywhere as he practically fell down the stairwell trying to get out before the explosions or they got to him. 

He finally saw an exit sign and chased the red glowing sign as he escape-

Max woke up.

He punched the button on his alarm for it to stop ringing in his face, he stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before getting up. 

He was having that damn nightmare again, it was over a year since it happened but he was still waking up late at night thinking about it. Thankfully, he was referred to a therapist, unfortunately, he never really got to see them very often.

He ate a piece of toast as he grabbed the newspaper that was slid under his apartment door. 

“IRAQ REFUSES TO WITHDRAW FROM KUWAIT”

This was good, that means they would be on time. The Gulf War was about 2 weeks away but he still needed time to talk with contractors and government officials about possible security measures, he was an NSA agent after all.

As he got dressed for his flight to Maryland, he stared at himself in the mirror.

Max, in his late twenties, stood at a comfortable 5 '10, he had dark brown, almost black hair that he liked keeping brushed but still loose, he had soft brown eyes. His face was quite angular but not to the point of looking scary. He had a pretty strong build for somebody who barely worked out. He admired this quality and put on his black suit.  

As he walked out of his apartment, he hailed a taxi and asked to be driven to the airport.

Just at that moment, he got a call, it was Lewis. Lewis was in his early thirties and worked for the CIA and the Pentagon. Max always admired him a bit, but he didn't think about it now, he answered the phone. 

“Yes?” Max said, answering the phone 

“Well, we aren’t getting on our planned flight.” Lewis replied 

Shit. 

“Why? I thought- … We need to get to Maryland as quickly as possible!” Max stammered 

“Look, I’ll meet you in the airport, we can figure something out there.” 

He hung up his phone and asked the driver to turn on the radio. He listened to the president ramble on about supporting allies. The car soon arrived at the airport. He got out of the car and thanked the driver before running into the airport. 

After a few minutes of searching, he found Lewis sitting in a chair in a busy airport and walked up to him. 

“What even happened?” Max questioned, nearly out of breath.

Lewis was wearing a clean, recently bought suit, he towered over Max as he stood up.

“First of all, hello to you too, second of all, I’m going to guess that whoever took our seats has bigger priority than us.”

“Well, what are you going to do? I mean, we need to be there within a couple hours.”

Lewis pulled out his phone.

“Sorry to disturb you but me and my friend really need to get to Maryland and somebody took our flight!” Lewis said with an almost sarcastic tone.

He heard a sigh and some mumbling on the other end before Lewis hung up.

“What was that?”

“Oh, you’ll see.” Lewis replied with a smirk as he and Max sat down.

A few minutes later, He noticed the woman in charge of one of the many gates connecting the planes suddenly got a call. He watched as her face turned from confusion to realization as she suddenly turned her gaze towards them.

“Are you two Max and Lewis?” she asked.

“Yes?” Max replied with interest.

“Well, come with me!” she said, weirdly happily as she walked away.

He exchanged gazes with Lewis as they followed the woman towards one of the planes before reaching a flight attendant at the entrance. The woman whispered in the flight attendant’s ear before the flight attendant went to the pilot and explained to them what was happening. The pilot nodded as she went to the Intercom and picked up the microphone as the woman who started it all walked away.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m terribly sorry to disturb you but we have two gentlemen who need to get to Maryland as quickly as possible due to an emergency. Our airline will be offering 300 dollars for each passenger who gives up their flight.” 

Some murmurs were exchanged between the passengers but ultimately nobody came forward. 

He grew more worried as time went on.

The flight attendant sighed, “500 dollars? We’ll even throw in a free night at a nearby hotel.”

The crowd became more indecisive until a young couple eventually came forward. 

The flight attendant thanked the passengers and directed them to where their reward would be as Max and Lewis took their seats. Lewis offered Max the window seat in which he kindly took the offer. 

“Well, that was interesting.” Max said, still surprised at what happened 

“You haven’t seen nothing yet.” Lewis replied with that same charming smirk 

He smiled as the plane took off.

[nerdieforpedro]

Get to Know Me Tag Game

I was tagged so I'm doing it. I'm malleable that way, you know?

Thank you @bitchwitch1981 for the tag 😎

1. Were you named after anyone?

I was named after a voodoo priestess from the movie "Angel Heart." The character Lisa Bonet played. My mom is a special lady. 🤣

2. When was the last time you cried?

Sometime in the last week of 2023 when I wrote that post about my mental health journey. It was...good to write out, but a lot.

3. Do you have kids?

I have none of the tiny humans.

4. What sports do you play/ have you played?

I was allergic to them, they made me itch. I read and played video games instead like the recluse I am.

5. Do you use sarcasm?

I may, at times. Usually people don't take me seriously when I'm being direct, and they think I'm being sarcastic.

6. What is the first thing you notice about people?

Eyes, nose and stance. Tells me if I need to keep myself between them and the exit. 👀

7. What's your eye colour?

Light brown, similar to honey. 🍯

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

Happy endings. It's sappy, but I like them. I will mock both horror and happy ending equally.

9. Any talents?

I can have my fingers inside you, while asking you follow-up questions, also a knack for calming sick elderly people and finding that tricky spot where the catheter goes. 🤣🤣 (I described my job in the worst way possible)

I can sing a little. I'm funny. I teach fairly well.

10. Where were you born?

United States - Maryland

11. What are your hobbies?

Listening & singing to music, writing and reading fics, day dreaming about Pedro Pascal & Oscar Isaac, watching TV, going to the movies, burning candles, reading manga, playing video games, painting my nails.

12. Do you have any pets?

The state of my houseplants have indicated to me that no matter how much I wish it, that alone will not sustain life for a dog or a cat. 😞

13. How tall are you?

5 foot 3 inches (I'm short and round, like a rolo or peppermint patty.)

14. Favourite subject in high school?

Science (Anatomy and Physiology)

15. Dream job?

Professional fanfic writer who gets paid in the number of WIPs I have. (So I would be making millions by never finishing any work.)

NP tags: @maggiemayhemnj @for-a-longlongtime @legendary-pink-dot @megamindsecretlair @mysterious-moonstruck-musings @goodwithcheese @secretelephanttattoo @avastrasposts @angelofsmalldeath-codeine @rhoorl @laurfilijames @alltheglitterandtheroar @avastrasposts @atinylittlepain @beefrobeefcal